heartening 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope a heartening visit to the hospital, where the patient was alert and sitting up

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

heartening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hearten
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of heartening
Adjective
That has not been a heartening process. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026 Yet the five-part series, named after Fitzgerald’s club, is more heartening than dour. — Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025 The arc of a wrongful-conviction story bends toward exoneration and release—a flawed but heartening correction of past wrongs. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026 The Gentlemen’s Club, for all its odd and difficult convulsions, is a heartening step in a positive direction. — Mosi Reeves, VIBE.com, 22 June 2026 The Gentlemen’s Club, for all its odd and difficult convulsions, is a heartening step in a positive direction. — Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2026 The most heartening thing about this deeply disturbing moment is seeing how consistently and forcefully Minnesotans of all demographics have been pushing back. — Scott Meslow, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026 What's particularly heartening is the number of Republican voters calling for such protections. — Michael Kleinman, Time, 22 Nov. 2025 Cameras captured the heartening sight on the podium of Peter Bonnington, Hamilton’s former race engineer who now looks after Antonelli, standing in the middle of the two drivers. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
All of the art is heartening—and very much at home. — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 18 June 2026 That’s fascinating and in some ways heartening to a newbie. — Matthew Heimer, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026 The fact that our national media has become increasingly focused on this side of the story is heartening. — Kevin A. Sabet, STAT, 1 Apr. 2026 Cases where animals win are always heartening, especially when the animal happens to be the Ukraine’s national bird. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 February 19 – March 20 Naming your options can be heartening today. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2026 Pisces February 19 – March 20 Naming your options can be heartening today. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026 But representation, particularly these days, can be a radical act, and there’s something heartening at the sight of the Kim family enjoying their turn in the mainstream spotlight. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 Still, the current legislative progress in California has to be heartening for the Stop Killing Games movement, which has seen its momentum in the UK stall a bit after a UK Parliament debate on game preservation last November. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartening
  1. promising
  2. encouraging
  3. favorable
  4. inspiring
  5. bright
  6. comforting
  7. hopeful
  8. optimistic
Adjective
  • Methane is widely regarded as one of the most promising fuels for reusable rockets and future interplanetary missions.
    — Rainer Zitelmann, Fortune, 2 July 2026
  • But since train-and-pray programs are unlikely to close the construction talent gap, three other initiatives are more promising.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of promising
Adjective
  • That means encouraging activities that benefit from proximity, such as planning meetings, architecture discussions, design reviews and complex problem-solving.
    — Nik Froehlich, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Some encouraging signals suggest the will to close the funding gap may exist.
    — Florencia Canelli, Scientific American, 1 July 2026
Definition of encouraging
Adjective
  • Jewish adults, who overwhelmingly skew Democratic, have a slightly more favorable opinion of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel, than of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the poll found.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • His research has found that while nostalgia is associated with improvements in social connectedness and favorable responses to questions about new innovations like AI, declinism has the opposite associations.
    — Markham Heid, Time, 8 July 2026
Definition of favorable
Verb
  • All the most gasp-inspiring moments of visual awe — such as Moana soaring across the sea as a manta ray spirit swims underneath her — are just a little stronger, a little bolder and brighter, in their original art form.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
  • Ultimately, healthy CEOs lead more effectively, inspiring their teams and fostering robust organizations.
    — Nancy MacKay, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of inspiring
Adjective
  • Charlie Carballo Ed Sheeran, who's been rumored to perform at the wedding festivities, made his way to MSG wearing a bright blue suit alongside wife Cherry Seaborn.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Work with Your Design Style A color this bright and energetic couldn’t possibly be versatile, too, right?
    — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 July 2026
Definition of bright
Adjective
  • The toasty, yeasty aroma of sourdough straight out of the oven isn’t just comforting.
    — Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • The ground beef, tomatoes, and brown rice are combined into a comforting bowl of comfort food for cold days.
    — Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026
Definition of comforting
Adjective
  • The emotional Moon activates your 9th House of Travel and Learning, while the dynamic Sun in your sign aligns your sense of self with hopeful perspective.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, her family remained hopeful, awaiting a life-altering kidney transplant.
    — Janey Wetzel, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
Definition of hopeful
Adjective
  • And for the star pitcher’s part, there seems to be plenty to be optimistic about.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Once optimistic about the future of life in America, the show now has a stronger desire to make change.
    — Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of optimistic

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Cite this Entry

“Heartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartening. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of heartening for Spanish Speakers

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