ermutigen
encourage
Jemandem Kraft und Zuversicht geben, damit diese Person etwas wagt oder weitermacht.
Definition & meaning
Ermutigen means to encourage someone by giving them courage, confidence, or motivation. It can also mean to urge someone to do something.
Grammar & Word origin
A transitive verb, usually taking an accusative object: someone encourages a person to do something. Its principal forms are ermutigt, ermutigte, and hat ermutigt. The prefix er- is inseparable.
The verb is built from Mut , meaning “courage,” and the verb-forming ending -igen. The prefix er- helps form a verb meaning to give someone courage or confidence.
Synonyms & antonyms
- ermuntern — to encourage or cheer someone on; often emphasizes prompting someone to act.
- bestärken — to reinforce someone’s confidence or conviction, especially when they already have an idea or intention.
- motivieren — to motivate; focuses more on inspiring someone to act than on giving them courage.
- anspornen — to spur someone on, often with a sense of urgency or competition.
Antonyms:
- entmutigen — to discourage or make someone lose confidence; the clearest opposite.
- abschrecken — to deter or put someone off, often by making something seem unpleasant or risky.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Wir ermutigen die Kinder, neue Dinge auszuprobieren.verb
We encourage the children to try new things.
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