heartened

Heartened is the past participle of the verb hearten and, less commonly, an adjective. It means encouraged or uplifted, having gained courage, hope, or confidence as a result of something. It can describe a person, their mood, or a reaction to information or events.

The term is often used to refer to a source of encouragement—news, progress, or supportive actions. For example, “The team’s morale was heartened by the decisive win,” or “She was heartened by the positive responses.” The related adjective heartening describes information or events that provoke encouragement, such as “heartening results.”

Etymology and related forms: hearten comes from heart + -en, with attestations dating to the Middle English period (14th century). Common derivatives include heartening (present participle) and heartened (past participle or adjective). Opposite terms include disheartened or disheartening. In usage, heartened can describe both a permanent mood change and a temporary reaction to a specific stimulus, making it versatile for reporting reactions to news, progress, or support.