激励|げきれいgekirei[0]heiban (flat)
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Definitions
- suru verb, transitive verb, no-adjectiveencouragement; spurring (on); cheering (on)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 激励する（げきれいする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 激励します（げきれいします） |
| Negative (nai) | 激励しない（げきれいしない） |
| polite (masen) | 激励しません（げきれいしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 激励せず・激励せぬ（げきれいせず・げきれいせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 激励した（げきれいした） |
| polite (mashita) | 激励しました（げきれいしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 激励しなかった（げきれいしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 激励しませんでした（げきれいしませんでした） |
| Te form | 激励して（げきれいして） |
| Potential | 激励できる（げきれいできる） |
| Passive | 激励される（げきれいされる） |
| Causative | 激励させる（げきれいさせる） |
| Causative passive | 激励させられる（げきれいさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 激励すれば（げきれいすれば） |
| tara | 激励したら（げきれいしたら） |
| Volitional | 激励しよう（げきれいしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 激励しましょう（げきれいしましょう） |
| Imperative | 激励しろ（げきれいしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym鼓舞こぶWrittenWritten/formal: rousing morale, as in 「士気を鼓舞する」; lifts the spirit of a group, while 「激励」 is about encouraging with words.
- Synonym励ますはげますNeutralTo encourage or comfort someone, as in 「友人を励ます」; common in speech and gentler than 「激励」.
- Synonym叱咤しったWrittenWritten/formal: driving someone on with loud scolding, as in 「叱咤激励」; harsher in tone than 「激励」.
- Synonym励ましはげましNeutralNoun form: words of encouragement, as in 「励ましの言葉」; gentle, supportive tone.
- Synonym督励とくれいWrittenWritten/formal: urging people on while supervising them; implies a superior spurring subordinates.
- Related元気づけるげんきづけるCasualColloquial: cheering up someone who is down, as in 「友人を元気づける」; about restoring their spirits.
- Related勇気づけるゆうきづけるNeutralTo give someone courage, as in 「その言葉に勇気づけられた」; focuses on instilling courage rather than spurring on.
- Related力づけるちからづけるCasualColloquial: giving someone strength; leans toward backing and cheering a person on.
- Related鼓吹こすいWrittenWritten/formal: it can mean rousing morale, but leans toward advocating or publicizing an idea or belief, while 「激励」 cheers a person on.
- Related気付けきつけWrittenRead 「きづけ」: 'care of', written after a name on envelopes to have mail passed on; unrelated to 「激励」. The pep-up 「気付け」 is read 「きつけ」.
- Related鼓舞激励こぶげきれいWrittenWritten/formal compound: rousing and encouraging together; puts stronger emphasis than 「激励」 alone.
- Related振起しんきWrittenWritten/formal: rousing oneself or stirring things to flourish; rare in modern Japanese.
- Related振り起こすふりおこすWrittenWritten/formal: stirring up or rousing, as in 「勇気を振り起こす」; often about rousing oneself.
- Related策励さくれいWrittenWritten/formal: urging and whipping someone on to effort; rare in modern Japanese.
- Antonym非難ひなんNeutralCriticizing or blaming someone for faults; the opposite of encouraging with 「激励」.
- Antonym叱責しっせきWrittenWritten/formal: reprimanding someone for a failure; the opposite of cheering on with 「激励」.
Use 「激励」 for encouraging someone with words or in writing, as in 「激励会」 or 「選手を激励する」. For gentle, everyday encouragement say 「励ます」; for rousing morale 「鼓舞」; for harsh scolding-and-spurring 「叱咤」. 「元気づける」「勇気づける」「力づける」 are for cheering someone up or giving courage. 「督励」「鼓舞激励」 and other written terms suit formal prose. The opposites are 「叱責」 and 「非難」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
