" heartening "

1: having qualities which inspire hope;

  * e.g., " ... a heartening visit to the hospital, where the patient was alert and sitting up "

•  Synonyms : 

•  auspicious,

•  bright,

•  encouraging,

•  fair,

•  golden,

•  hopeful,

•  likely,

•  optimistic,

•  promising,

•  propitious,

•  rose-colored,

•  roseate,

•  rosy,

•  upbeat

•  Antonyms : 

•  bleak,

•  dark,

•  depressing,

•  desperate,

•  discouraging,

•  disheartening,

•  dismal,

•  downbeat,

•  dreary,

•  gloomy,

•  hopeless,

•  inauspicious,

•  pessimistic,

•  unencouraging,

•  unlikely,

•  unpromising,

•  unpropitious

2: making one feel good inside;

  * e.g., " ... hearing how his students still appreciated him after all those years was heartening to the music teacher "

•  Synonyms : 

•  cheering,

•  comforting,

•  encouraging,

•  fulfilling,

•  gladdening,

•  gratifying,

•  heartwarming,

•  rewarding,

•  satisfying

•  Antonyms : 

•  demoralizing,

•  depressing,

•  discouraging,

•  disheartening,

•  dispiriting

3: pointing toward a happy outcome;

  * e.g., " ... the accomplishments of the first day were a heartening start to our renovation of the house "

•  Synonyms : 

•  auspicious,

•  bright,

•  encouraging,

•  favorable,

•  golden,

•  hopeful,

•  promising,

•  propitious

•  Antonyms : 

•  dim,

•  discouraging,

•  disheartening,

•  futureless,

•  hopeless,

•  inauspicious,

•  unfavorable,

•  unpromising,

•  unpropitious

1: to fill with courage or strength of purpose;

  * e.g., " ... thinking we were hopelessly lost, we were heartened by the sight of a familiar farmhouse "

•  Synonyms : 

•  bearing up,

•  bucking up,

•  buoying (up),

•  cheering (up),

•  chirking (up),

•  emboldening,

•  encouraging,

•  inspiring,

•  inspiriting,

•  steeling

•  Antonyms : 

•  daunting,

•  discouraging,

•  disheartening,

•  dispiriting

1: to fill with courage or strength of purpose;

  * e.g., " ... thinking we were hopelessly lost, we were heartened by the sight of a familiar farmhouse "

•  Synonyms : 

•  bear up,

•  buck up,

•  buoy (up),

•  cheer (up),

•  chirk (up),

•  embolden,

•  encourage,

•  inspire,

•  inspirit,

•  steel

•  Antonyms : 

•  daunt,

•  discourage,

•  dishearten,

•  dispirit