exhort

English

WOTD – 9 March 2016

Etymology

From Old French exhorter, from Latin exhortor (encourage), from ex (out of, from) + hortor (incite, spur).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛɡˈzɔːt/, /ɨɡˈzɔɹt/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɔː(r)t
  • Hyphenation: ex‧hort

Verb

exhort (third-person singular simple present exhorts, present participle exhorting, simple past and past participle exhorted)

  1. To urge; to advise earnestly.
    Antonyms: dehort, dissuade
    • (Can we date this quote by Bible as well as title, page, and other details?), Acts ii. 40:
      With many other words did he testify and exhort.
    • (Can we date this quote by J. D. Forbes as well as title, page, and other details?):
      Let me exhort you to take care of yourself.
    • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 12: The Cyclops]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare & Co.; Sylvia Beach, OCLC 560090630; republished London: Published for the Egoist Press, London by John Rodker, Paris, October 1922, OCLC 2297483:
      Asked if he had any message for the living he exhorted all who were still at the wrong side of Maya to acknowledge the true path for it was reported in devanic circles that Mars and Jupiter were out for mischief on the eastern angle where the ram has power.
    • 2007 July 21, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter; 7), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:
      Perhaps because he was determined to make up for having walked out on them, perhaps because Harry’s descent into listlessness galvanized his dormant leadership qualities, Ron was the one now encouraging and exhorting the other two into action.
    • 2019 May 12, Alex McLevy, “Westeros faces a disastrous final battle on the penultimate Game of Thrones (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club:
      Jon, watching the chaos unfold, is in shock. A Stark in spirit if not blood, he comes to the aid of a woman before she’s raped by a fellow soldier, but mostly, he’s struck dumb by the needless violence playing out around him, eventually able to do little more than exhort everyone to fall back and flee the city.

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