1
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope
a heartening visit to the hospital, where the patient was alert and sitting up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraging
making one feel good inside
hearing how his students still appreciated him after all those years was heartening to the music teacher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in favorable
pointing toward a happy outcome
the accomplishments of the first day were a heartening start to our renovation of the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in inspiring
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
thinking we were hopelessly lost, we were heartened by the sight of a familiar farmhouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartening
Adjective
-
The fourth-round draft pick had a promising rookie season in 2024, even after sustaining a scary neck injury in late November.—
Alex Zietlow and,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2025 -
His promising early baseball career took a back seat in 1943 when he was taken into the Navy and served as a radio operator on the USS Coral Sea during World War II.—
Daniel Brown,
The Athletic,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Winning five of their first six games post-break is encouraging.—
Brian Sampson,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Keep reinforcing the positive and encouraging patience.—
Harriette Cole,
The Mercury News,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
That may imply Ukrainian brigades are leaving Kursk, and giving up much of the terrain Zelensky hoped to trade back to Russia in exchange for a favorable ceasefire.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
-
In addition to this, negotiations about money, financial support, loans, taxes and mortgages will be favorable.—
Georgia Nicols,
The Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
And the art of delegation requires inspiring direction, enabling resources, empowering authority, and credible accountability.—
George Bradt,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
-
Princess Diana’s style is still inspiring generations.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
At night, many of these fishing vessels turn on bright lights to lure squid to the surface, where they are harvested using a large net.—
Avery Schmitz,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
-
That’s exactly what happens, but our eyes (which are not blessed with high dynamic range) see a bright side of the moon and an almost black side as Earth’s shadow travels across it.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
These stories are dark, yet hopeful testaments to the human will to survive against all odds.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Other testimony came from character witnesses who described Syed as having an even temper, strong communication skills, loving relationships and an impressive ability to remain hopeful during his long prison term.—
Brian Witte,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Future of Foreign Aid: Rethink, Not Retreat Despite dramatic aid shifts being experienced around the world, Haddad remains cautiously optimistic.—
Daphne Ewing-Chow,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
-
But while many in Altadena’s entrepreneurial community remain optimistic about a recovery, multiple business owners described lengthy and difficult roads ahead.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
For Eichel, to have won a Cup, to be in the middle of a Hart and potentially Selke Trophy-type season, to be the No. 1 center heading into 4 Nations, is gratifying, especially because standing up for himself triggered the trade that led to all of this.—
Michael Russo,
The Athletic,
12 Feb. 2025
-
The most gratifying elements of venturing into skincare, to Curry, are experiencing the brand’s efficacy in real time and having the ability to integrate cultural storytelling into skincare.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 Feb. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Heartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartening. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share