embolden
verb
em·bold·en
im-ˈbōl-dən 
emboldened; emboldening; emboldens
: to impart boldness or courage to : to instill with boldness, courage, or resolution enough to overcome timidity or misgiving
Great leaders embolden the rest of us to rise to our highest potentialities, to be active, insistent and resolute in affirming our own sense of things.—
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.… being near her twin did seem to embolden her, to loosen her tongue.—John Updike
John Updike… other voices too timid to speak in class are often emboldened by the different and more protected role an online conversation provides.—Richard A. Lanham
Richard A. LanhamSynonyms
Examples of embolden in a Sentence
his poor showing in his first swim meet just emboldened him to train even harder
Recent Examples on the Web
Rana, the chief of police, could be seen as a stand-in for bureaucrats and administrators who critics accuse of emboldening extremists and stoking sectarian violence.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Iran’s actions appear to have been emboldened, U.S. and European diplomats say, by its deepening alliance with Russia, a signatory to the JCPOA that has emerged as an important strategic and economic partner since Moscow’s full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
—Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
To her, the Dominion lawsuit revealed a fundamentally dishonest media that had been emboldened by undeserved constitutional protections.
—David Enrich, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
With all the injuries, Bradford has embraced the next-man-up mentality emboldened by how the team won the 2023 World Series despite several major injuries throughout the season.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
Cromwell, played by the great Mark Rylance, is a master of realpolitik, capable of manipulating and emboldening Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) to murderous effect.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
The realization that there is a limited amount of bitcoin to invest in is another factor that has likely emboldened investor interest.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
The proposed TikTok ban working its way through Congress could embolden authoritarian censorship abroad, experts warn, and shatter the United States’ reputation as an international champion of free speech.
—Kevin Collier, NBC News, 17 Mar. 2024
Displays of weakness, by contrast, embolden aggressors.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024
Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Iran’s actions appear to have been emboldened, U.S. and European diplomats say, by its deepening alliance with Russia, a signatory to the JCPOA that has emerged as an important strategic and economic partner since Moscow’s full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
—Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
To her, the Dominion lawsuit revealed a fundamentally dishonest media that had been emboldened by undeserved constitutional protections.
—David Enrich, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
With all the injuries, Bradford has embraced the next-man-up mentality emboldened by how the team won the 2023 World Series despite several major injuries throughout the season.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
Cromwell, played by the great Mark Rylance, is a master of realpolitik, capable of manipulating and emboldening Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) to murderous effect.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
The realization that there is a limited amount of bitcoin to invest in is another factor that has likely emboldened investor interest.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
The proposed TikTok ban working its way through Congress could embolden authoritarian censorship abroad, experts warn, and shatter the United States’ reputation as an international champion of free speech.
—Kevin Collier, NBC News, 17 Mar. 2024
Displays of weakness, by contrast, embolden aggressors.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'embolden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near embolden
Cite this Entry
“Embolden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embolden. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
embolden
verb
em·bold·en
im-ˈbōl-dən
: to make bold
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share