Meaning & use

exhort

verb·Advanced

To strongly urge or encourage someone to do something, especially through persuasive words.

See it in a sentence

The coach exhorted the team to keep fighting even as they trailed badly.

Leaders exhorted citizens to conserve water during the worst of the drought.

A note on using this word

Exhort is formal and often used for public or moral appeals, more elevated in tone than everyday 'urge'.

Words with a similar meaning

urgeimplore

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

discouragedissuade

Make it your own

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