Exhort
verb /ɪɡˈzɔːt/ — To urge strongly — to call someone to action with passion and conviction.
Definition
Strongly encourage or urge someone to do something; to advise or caution earnestly; to make urgent appeals.
Beyond the definition
To exhort is to urge with the full force of belief behind the urging — it is not mere suggestion but passionate advocacy. The exhorter is invested in the outcome. Religious traditions, coaches, and great orators exhort.
Origin & history
From Latin exhortari — to encourage strongly (ex: thoroughly + hortari: to urge). Thoroughly urging — the ex- prefix intensifies the already-strong word for urging.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She exhorted the team to hold for ten more minutes — and they did.
He exhorted caution in the way someone does when they've seen what happens to the incautious.
To exhort is to put your belief behind your words, which is different from merely stating them.
How to use it
This entry uses a verb. Follow the examples for tense and any objects or prepositions it needs.
Choose “Exhort” when the meaning fits your context: Strongly encourage or urge someone to do something; to advise or caution earnestly; to make urgent appeals.
Synonyms
urge, encourage, implore, entreat, advocate
Antonyms
discourage, dissuade, warn off
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Urgent Oratorical Appeal
An adult stands on a stage, arms wide in an assertive, commanding gesture, the lighting emphasizing their intense focus.
The expansive, assertive gesture portrays the effort to strongly urge or encourage an audience. Exhortation is a rhetorical act requiring sustained, intense appeal to motivate others toward a specific course of action.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Exhort" mean?
Exhort is verb meaning: To urge strongly — to call someone to action with passion and conviction.. Strongly encourage or urge someone to do something; to advise or caution earnestly; to make urgent appeals.
Where does the word "Exhort" come from?
From Latin exhortari — to encourage strongly (ex: thoroughly + hortari: to urge). Thoroughly urging — the ex- prefix intensifies the already-strong word for urging.