encouragement

encouragement — noun

1. Something that you say or do in order to help another person feel more confident

1.名詞B1
釋義

Something that you say or do in order to help another person feel more confident and willing to try or continue doing something.

例句

Obi's parents gave him a lot of encouragement when he started learning the guitar.

collocation: 'gave ... encouragement'

The teacher's encouragement helped Linh feel more confident about giving her presentation in class.

同義詞
  • support

    Broader term — includes practical help as well as emotional backing; more general than encouragement

  • reassurance

    Focuses on calming fears and relieving doubt, whereas encouragement pushes someone forward

  • motivation

    Often refers to the inner drive a person feels; encouragement is the external act that feeds motivation

反義詞
  • discouragement

    Words or behaviour that reduce someone's confidence or willingness to try

用法筆記

Usually uncountable ('The children need encouragement'), but countable in the fixed expression 'a word of encouragement' and similar patterns such as 'a source of encouragement'.

常見錯誤

❌My teacher gave me many encouragements.
✅My teacher gave me a lot of encouragement.
💡Encouragement is uncountable in this sense; use 'a lot of', 'plenty of', or 'a great deal of' rather than 'many'.
❌I need an encouragement from my parents.
✅I need some encouragement from my parents.' or ✅ 'I need a word of encouragement from my parents.
💡Do not use the indefinite article 'a/an' directly before 'encouragement'.

2. Support, conditions, or incentives that help a particular activity, habit, or pr

2.名詞B2
釋義

Support, conditions, or incentives that help a particular activity, habit, or process to develop, grow, or become more likely.

例句

Yumi's painting sold quickly, which was encouragement for her to start a new series.

pattern: 'was encouragement for [someone] to [do something]'

The new law provides encouragement for businesses to invest in renewable energy.

collocation: 'provides encouragement for'

同義詞
  • incentive

    More concrete — refers to a specific reward or benefit designed to encourage action; often used in economics or business

  • stimulus

    Suggests an outside force that provokes activity; more formal and often used in economic or scientific contexts

  • promotion

    Usually involves active efforts or campaigns to make something succeed, rather than just enabling conditions

反義詞
  • deterrent

    Something that discourages or prevents an activity from happening

用法筆記

Typically uncountable. Often found in contexts involving policy, economics, nature, or business, where conditions or incentives favour the growth of something. Frequently followed by 'for' + noun phrase or 'to' + infinitive.

常見錯誤

❌The policy gave many encouragements to small businesses.
✅The policy gave encouragement to small businesses.
💡Even when referring to multiple incentives, encouragement remains uncountable.