bolster
Americannoun
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a long, often cylindrical, cushion or pillow for a bed, sofa, etc.
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anything resembling this in form or in use as a support.
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any pillow, cushion, or pad.
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Nautical.
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Also called bolster plate. a circular casting on the side of a vessel, through which an anchor chain passes.
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a timber used as a temporary support.
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a beam for holding lines or rigging without chafing.
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a bag filled with buoyant material, fitted into a small boat.
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Metalworking. an anvillike support for the lower die of a drop forge.
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Masonry.
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a timber or the like connecting two ribs of a centering.
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a chisel with a blade splayed toward the edge, used for cutting bricks.
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Carpentry. a horizontal timber on a post for lessening the free span of a beam.
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a structural member on which one end of a bridge truss rests.
verb (used with object)
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to support with or as with a pillow or cushion.
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to add to, support, strengthen, or uphold (sometimes followed byup ).
They bolstered their morale by singing.
He bolstered up his claim with new evidence.
- Synonyms:
- fortify, reinforce, aid, sustain, strengthen
verb
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(often foll by up) to support or reinforce; strengthen
to bolster morale
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to prop up with a pillow or cushion
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to add padding to
to bolster a dress
noun
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a long narrow pillow or cushion
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any pad or padded support
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architect a short horizontal length of timber fixed to the top of a post to increase the bearing area and reduce the span of the supported beam
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a cold chisel having a broad blade splayed towards the cutting edge, used for cutting stone slabs, etc
Synonym Usage
See cushion.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bolstersimple
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bolsterssimple
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have bolsteredperfect
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has bolsteredperfect
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am bolsteringprogressive
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are bolsteringprogressive
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is bolsteringprogressive
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have been bolsteringperfect progressive
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has been bolsteringperfect progressive
Past
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bolsteredsimple
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had bolsteredperfect
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was bolsteringprogressive
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were bolsteringprogressive
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had been bolsteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bolster
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bolstre (noun), Old English bolster; cognate with Old Norse bolstr, Dutch bolster, German Polster
Explanation
When you cheer up a friend who's feeling down, you bolster them. To bolster is to offer support or strengthen. A bolster is also the name of a long pillow you might use to make your back feel better. And the two uses are not dissimilar. When you bolster your friends, you support them and prop them up, just like the pillow does for your back. When you're trying to bolster your credibility, you find people and/or documents that support you or your view. Bolster efforts to learn this word!
Vocabulary lists containing bolster
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "B" & "C"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Looking ahead, yen investors continue to watch for market intervention, with Japan’s top government spokesperson reaffirming officials’ willingness to step in to bolster the currency.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
Former Scotland striker Stuart McCall believes Clarke may sacrifice one of his strikers to bolster the midfield to add more mobility and try to add control.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
Qualcomm separately may be lining up an acquisition to bolster its efforts in the space.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
This is why they failed to bolster gold much since the Iranian crisis began.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026
It was often said that Fitzsimmons nearly ruined Seabiscuit by using him as a workmate for Granville, pulling him up during hot contests to bolster Granville’s confidence.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
