The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - encourage v.

1) hearten, embolden, reassure, buoy (up) , stimulate, animate, support, inspirit, inspire, cheer (up) , urge or spur on or onward(s) , incite, Colloq egg on, pep up: She encouraged him in his study of medicine. 2) promote, advance, aid, support, help, assist, abet, foster, forward, boost, Colloq give a shot in the arm: The continued success of the team encouraged attendance at the games.