1 exhort | Definition of exhort

exhort

verb
ex·​hort | \ ig-ˈzȯrt How to pronounce exhort (audio) \
exhorted; exhorting; exhorts

Definition of exhort

transitive verb

: to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly exhorting voters to do the right thing

intransitive verb

: to give warnings or advice : make urgent appeals

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Other Words from exhort

exhorter noun

Did You Know?

Exhort is a 15th-century coinage. It derives from the Latin verb hortari, meaning "to incite," and it often implies the ardent urging or admonishing of an orator or preacher. People in the 16th century apparently liked the root -hort, but they couldn't resist fiddling around with different prefixes to create other words similar in meaning to "exhort." They came up with adhort and dehort. Adhort was short-lived and became obsolete after the 17th century. Dehort was similar to exhort and adhort but with a more specific meaning of "to dissuade." It had a better run than adhort, being used well into the late 19th century, but it is now considered archaic.

Examples of exhort in a Sentence

He exhorted his people to take back their land. She exhorted her listeners to support the proposition.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet at sometimes raucous events elsewhere in the huge convention center and at nearby hotels, party activists cheered as figureheads of the anti-EU wing exhorted Mrs. May to change course. Max Colchester, WSJ, "U.K. Conservative Party Reveals Its Deep Divides," 1 Oct. 2018 With no sign of international sanctions lifting any time soon, North Korea has been exhorting its citizens to brace for a prolonged standoff with the United States. Choe Sang-hun, New York Times, "North Korea Launches Two Short-Range Missiles, South Korea Says," 24 July 2019 Dora’s habit of exhorting viewers to repeat things after her, for instance, remains intact, unnerving other characters, who aren’t aware there’s a fourth wall to break. Kristen Page-kirby, Twin Cities, "There’s no treasure to be found in the boring ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’," 9 Aug. 2019 Since then, murals, paintings, and graphic art have sprung across the nation: agitating peace, extolling the place of demonstrators and martyrs, exhorting the world to stand up for the Sudanese people, and imagining a better future. Abdi Latif Dahir, Quartz Africa, "Sudan’s street protests have inspired another revolution—in art," 12 July 2019 Oberlin alumni who are exhorted to contribute to this college, which has been made stupid and mendacious by politics, should ponder where at least $22 million is going. George Will, National Review, "Oberlin Has Graduated from Self-Caricature to Disgrace," 20 June 2019 Oberlin alumni who are exhorted to contribute to this college, which has been made stupid and mendacious by politics, should ponder where at least $22 million is going. George Will, Twin Cities, "George Will: Oberlin has graduated from self-caricature to disgrace," 20 June 2019 As the telecast began, Mr. Corden exhorted viewers — who, ironically, were mostly watching on television — to think about getting off their couches and going to see a show. Michael Paulson, New York Times, "Who Won and What Happened at the 2019 Tony Awards," 9 June 2019 Other edicts exhorted citizens to generosity, piety, justice, and mercy. National Geographic, "Who was Ashoka?," 1 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exhort.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of exhort

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

History and Etymology for exhort

Middle English, from Anglo-French exorter, from Latin exhortari, from ex- + hortari to incite — more at yearn

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More Definitions for exhort

exhort

verb

English Language Learners Definition of exhort

formal : to try to influence (someone) by words or advice : to strongly urge (someone) to do something

exhort

verb
ex·​hort | \ ig-ˈzȯrt How to pronounce exhort (audio) \
exhorted; exhorting

Kids Definition of exhort

: to try to influence by words or advice : urge strongly The Centipede was down there too, exhorting them both frantically to greater efforts …— Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach

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More from Merriam-Webster on exhort

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with exhort

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exhort

Spanish Central: Translation of exhort

Nglish: Translation of exhort for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of exhort for Arabic Speakers