bolster

Intermediatezipf 3.31

Pronunciation

/ˈbəʊlstə/(BOHL-stuh)

Part of speech

verbneutral

Chinese

支持；增强；加固（从下方或背后提供支撑）

Definition

To support, strengthen, or prop up something that is weak or declining.

Word family

  • bolstered/ˈbəʊlstəd/(adj)被支持的

Collocations

  • bolster confidence
  • bolster morale
  • bolster the economy
  • bolster support

Examples

  1. 1.His encouraging words bolstered her confidence before the interview. (strengthen)
  2. 2.The government introduced measures to bolster the struggling economy. (prop up)

Synonyms

  • reinforce/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs/— make stronger, often structures/arguments
  • buttress/ˈbʌtrəs/— support from outside, formal
  • boost/buːst/— increase, more informal

Etymology

from Old Norse "bolstr" = a long pillow — literally propping something up