embolden
im-BOHL-dun
/ɪmˈbəʊl.dən/
To give someone the courage or confidence to do something or to behave in a certain way.
Describes an external influence, event, or success that infuses a person with new bravery.
The story behind the word. Formed in Middle English by attaching the causative prefix 'em-' (from Latin/French) to the Old English adjective 'bold'. Literally 'to make into a bold state'.
Word relationships
- encourage: Encourage is milder and everyday; embolden specifically boosts daring or adventurous confidence.
- hearten: Hearten restores cheer and hope; embolden inspires action and risk-taking.
- discourage: To deprive of confidence or enthusiasm.
- intimidate: To frighten into inaction.
Commonly confused with
- embroidery: Embroidery is decorative needlework, completely unrelated.
Word family
- emboldened (adjective): made bold or confident
- emboldening (adjective): giving courage
Collocations
- embolden someone to act
- feel emboldened
- further emboldened
Example sentences
- "The election victory served to embolden the reform movement across the nation." Politics
- "Emboldened by her mentor's warm support, she stepped up to present the keynote speech." Personal growth
Memory hook
EM-BOLD-EN = Put BOLD into someone. Injecting courage into someone.
When not to use
Do not use as an intransitive verb (e.g. 'he emboldened to speak' is wrong; use 'he was emboldened to speak').
Fun facts
- The prefix em-/en- transforms adjectives into action verbs, like enable, enrich, enlarge, and embolden.
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.