hearten

hearten, v.
  (ˈhɑːt(ə)n)
  Also 6–7 harten.
  [Extended form of heart v.: see -en⁵ 2.]
  1. trans. To put heart into, give heart to (a person, etc.); to inspire with confidence, embolden, encourage; to rouse to fresh energy or enthusiasm; to inspirit, animate, cheer.

1526 R. Whitford Martiloge (1893) 182 Saynt Cicily hertned them vnto martyrdom. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 115 b, Because I have halfe weried the reader with a tedious matter, I wil harten him agayne with a merye tale. 1650 Fuller Pisgah ii. 61 Where God..heartened his own people.. by drying up the waters of Jordan. 1777 Burke Let. Sheriffs Bristol Wks. III. 156 One of a noisy multitude to halloo and hearten them into doubtful and dangerous courses. 1855 Browning Grammarian's Funeral 76 Hearten our chorus! 1859 Smiles Self-Help xi. (1860) 293 Encounter with difficulties will train his strength..heartening him for future effort.

  b. Const. inf.

1579–80 North Plutarch (1676) 945 This [token] did hearten him..to follow his purpose. 1683 Apol. Prot. France iii. 9 [They] heartened him by their advice to pursue his Hellish Design of stabbing the King. 1881 Eliz. R. Chapman Master of All I. 77 The slant rays..heartened the robins to chirp their merriest.

  c. refl.

1571 Golding Calvin on Ps. vii. 1 Too thentent he may harten himselfe unto boldnesse. 1708 Stanhope Paraphr. (1709) IV. 503 Let us hearten our selves with their Assistance against Temptations. 1806–7 J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (1826) xi. Concl., How long a time you will require to hearten yourself for the next consultation.

  2. With adv. a. to hearten on: to encourage, inspirit, incite, stimulate.

1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions ii. x. 221 The princes and capitaines..crye vnto their men, and harten them on. a 1690 Rushw. Hist. Coll. (1721) V. 358 The Train-Band..kill'd a Ballad-Singer with one Arm, that was heartning on the Women [rioters]. 1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 259 Heartening on his men, till he dropped exhausted from his saddle.

  b. to hearten up: to animate, cheer up.

1590 Marlowe Edw. II, iii. ii, Hearten up your men. 1674 R. Godfrey Inj. & Ab. Physic 76 The Doctor heartned him up, and admonisht him not to let in fears. 1724 De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 185 They boasted of the victory to hearten up their friends. 1849 Grote Greece ii. lx. (1862) V. 292 Marshalling the troops, heartening up their dejection.

  c. refl. and intr. for refl. To rouse oneself from despondency; to take fresh heart or courage, regain one's spirits, cheer up.

1708 Motteux Rabelais iv. xxiv. (1737) 101 Who is fain to drink to hearten himself up. 1874 T. Hardy Far from Madding Crowd (1889) 308 Do hearten yourself up a little, ma'am. 1883 Sunday Mag. Dec. 751/2, I heartened up a good bit. 1891 Atkinson Last Giant Killers 136 ‘Hearten up, my sweet’, he said.

  † 3. To give physical strength or stimulus to: a. To strengthen with food or nourishment. Obs.

1586 A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 110 Good Ale, which inwardly must hearten him. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 82 Peacocks are verie sicke when they moult, and then they must be heartened with Honey, Wheat, Oates, and Horse-beanes. 1693 Sir T. P. Blount Nat. Hist. 118 Messengers..take of it [opium] to hearten themselves. 1748 Anson's Voy. ii. viii. 220 Of great service both in lengthning out our store of provision, and in heartning the whole crew with..palatable food. 1792 Osbaldiston Brit. Sportsman 74/1 A composition given to hearten and strengthen them.

  † b. To put (land) into good heart; to fertilize with manure. Cf. heart v. 2. Obs.

1594 Plat Jewell-ho. i. 49 These being returned vppon the grounds..do helpe in some measure to harten them again. 1601 Cornwallyes Disc. Seneca (1631) 34 But rather hearten our soils and make us shoot up. 1622 May Virg. Georg. (J.), The ground one year at rest; forget not then With richest dung to hearten it again.

  † c. To supply (liquor) with stimulant quality.

1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. 293 Makes most delicate Punch; but it must have a dash of Brandy to hearten it, because this Arack is not strong enough.

  4. transf. in weaker sense: To strengthen, help on, further, promote. Obs.

1615 T. Adams Spir. Navig. 4 Somewhat to hearten the probability of this opinion. 1649 Bp. Hall Cases Consc. Addit. i. (1654) 384 His offensive marriage with his Neece is hartned by a sophisticall pleader.

  Hence ˈheartened ppl. a. ˈheartener, one who heartens, encourages, or cheers. ˈheartening vbl. n., encouragement, stimulus, renewal of strength or spirits. ˈheartening ppl. a., that heartens, stimulates, etc.: see senses of vb.

1649 Lanc. Tracts (Chetham Soc.) 223 The *heartned old man quickly left me.

1601 F. Godwin Bps. of Eng. 514 He was a great *hartner of King John against the Pope. 1896 Advance (Chicago) 12 Nov. 662 What the world most greatly needs is hearteners, not dishearteners.

1581 Mulcaster Positions xxxvii. (1887) 151 Without any either greate feare, or much *heartening. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 109 Which exceedeth all other kinds of dung in goodnesse, for the great substance, strength, and heartening which it giueth vnto the ground. 1816 J. Ballantyne in Smiles J. Murray (1891) I. xviii. 467, ‘I am..confident of the success of this work’. This is no bad heartening.

1613–16 W. Browne Brit. Past. ii. ii, They turn'd them tow'rds the *hart'ning sound. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery xiv. 217 This is a pretty heartening dish for a sick or weak person. 1895 J. Smith Message Exod. v. 67 A new, living and most heartening message from the Unseen.

Oxford English Dictionary