Ennoble
verb
To enhance or improve the quality, value, or status of something or someone.
Their efforts to clean the neighborhood park served to ennoble the whole community.
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To raise to a noble rank or position, often used specifically in the context of granting a title of nobility.
The king chose to ennoble his loyal servant by making him a knight.
Often appears as...
- ennoble a knight
- ennoble a servant
Usage tips
Formal
Historical
verb
To give a higher moral quality to something, often in the sense of making it more virtuous or noble in character.
Her selflessness and kindness did much to ennoble her in the eyes of the people around her.
Often appears as...
- ennoble character
- ennoble spirit
Usage tips
Formal
Literary
verb
To enhance or improve the quality, value, or status of something or someone.
Their efforts to clean the neighborhood park served to ennoble the whole community.
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To raise to a noble rank or position, often used specifically in the context of granting a title of nobility.
The king chose to ennoble his loyal servant by making him a knight.
Often appears as...
- ennoble a knight
- ennoble a servant
Usage tips
Formal
Historical
verb
To give a higher moral quality to something, often in the sense of making it more virtuous or noble in character.
Her selflessness and kindness did much to ennoble her in the eyes of the people around her.
Often appears as...
- ennoble character
- ennoble spirit
Usage tips
Formal
Literary
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Improvement Aspect
Understand that 'ennoble' can imply making something morally better, not just higher in status.
The charity work helped to ennoble the company's public image.
Pro Tip 2/3Metaphoric Use
'Ennoble' can be used metaphorically to describe enhancing inanimate objects or ideas.
The artist's touch ennobled the simplicity of the rustic room.
Pro Tip 3/3Community Perspective
It often denotes an action benefiting a group, rather than an individual alone.
Her dedication to teaching ennobled the entire educational community.
Pro Tip 1/3Improvement Aspect
Understand that 'ennoble' can imply making something morally better, not just higher in status.
The charity work helped to ennoble the company's public image.
Pro Tip 2/3Metaphoric Use
'Ennoble' can be used metaphorically to describe enhancing inanimate objects or ideas.
The artist's touch ennobled the simplicity of the rustic room.
Pro Tip 3/3Community Perspective
It often denotes an action benefiting a group, rather than an individual alone.
Her dedication to teaching ennobled the entire educational community.
Pro Tip 1/3Improvement Aspect
Understand that 'ennoble' can imply making something morally better, not just higher in status.
The charity work helped to ennoble the company's public image.
Pro Tip 2/3Metaphoric Use
'Ennoble' can be used metaphorically to describe enhancing inanimate objects or ideas.
The artist's touch ennobled the simplicity of the rustic room.
Pro Tip 3/3Community Perspective
It often denotes an action benefiting a group, rather than an individual alone.
Her dedication to teaching ennobled the entire educational community.
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Video examples
Why theater is essential...
He was taking the voice of the people, the language of the people, elevating it into verse, and by doing so, ennobling the language and ennobling the people who spoke the language.
Video examples
Why theater is essential...
He was taking the voice of the people, the language of the people, elevating it into verse, and by doing so, ennobling the language and ennobling the people who spoke the language.
Example 1 of 1
Quote examples
Cornel West
American Educator
I always felt called to serve, to empower and ennoble as many people as I could, teaching, truth-telling, exposing lies, bearing witness, and being willing to live and die for something bigger than yourself. I had a passion and love of learning and wisdom that was inseparable from a love of music and the arts.
Quote examples
Calvin Coolidge
American President
Advertising ministers to the spiritual side of trade. It is great power that has been entrusted to your keeping which charges you with the high responsibility of inspiring and ennobling the commercial world. It is all part of the greater work of the regeneration and redemption of mankind.
Quote examples
Lucy Larcom
American Poet
Labor, in itself, is neither elevating or otherwise. It is the laborer's privilege to ennoble his work by the aim with which he undertakes it, and by the enthusiasm and faithfulness he puts into it.
Quote examples
Tom Rachman
English Novelist
I had pictured journalism as I'd seen it in the most ennobling films, where the reporter battles for the truth, propelled by conviction, and is triumphant. There are journalists who fit that ideal.
Quote examples
Immanuel Kant
German Philosopher
Even philosophers will praise war as ennobling mankind, forgetting the Greek who said: 'War is bad in that it begets more evil than it kills.
Quote examples
Thorstein Veblen
American Economist
In itself and in its consequences the life of leisure is beautiful and ennobling in all civilised men's eyes.
Quote examples
Huston Smith
American Theologian
It's often difficult for us to act compassionately, but sacred art eases the difficulty by ennobling us.
Quote examples
Henry Taube
Canadian Scientist
Science as an intellectual exercise enriches our culture, and is in itself ennobling.
Quote examples
Richard Belzer
American Comedian
Cancer is a cosmic slap in the face. You either get discouraged or ennobled by it.
Quote examples
Christian Nestell Bovee
American Author
The small courtesies sweeten life; the greater ennoble it.
Quote examples
Cornel West
American Educator
I always felt called to serve, to empower and ennoble as many people as I could, teaching, truth-telling, exposing lies, bearing witness, and being willing to live and die for something bigger than yourself. I had a passion and love of learning and wisdom that was inseparable from a love of music and the arts.
Quote examples
Calvin Coolidge
American President
Advertising ministers to the spiritual side of trade. It is great power that has been entrusted to your keeping which charges you with the high responsibility of inspiring and ennobling the commercial world. It is all part of the greater work of the regeneration and redemption of mankind.
Quote examples
Lucy Larcom
American Poet
Labor, in itself, is neither elevating or otherwise. It is the laborer's privilege to ennoble his work by the aim with which he undertakes it, and by the enthusiasm and faithfulness he puts into it.
Quote examples
Tom Rachman
English Novelist
I had pictured journalism as I'd seen it in the most ennobling films, where the reporter battles for the truth, propelled by conviction, and is triumphant. There are journalists who fit that ideal.
Quote examples
Immanuel Kant
German Philosopher
Even philosophers will praise war as ennobling mankind, forgetting the Greek who said: 'War is bad in that it begets more evil than it kills.
Quote examples
Thorstein Veblen
American Economist
In itself and in its consequences the life of leisure is beautiful and ennobling in all civilised men's eyes.
Quote examples
Huston Smith
American Theologian
It's often difficult for us to act compassionately, but sacred art eases the difficulty by ennobling us.
Quote examples
Henry Taube
Canadian Scientist
Science as an intellectual exercise enriches our culture, and is in itself ennobling.
Quote examples
Richard Belzer
American Comedian
Cancer is a cosmic slap in the face. You either get discouraged or ennobled by it.
Quote examples
Christian Nestell Bovee
American Author
The small courtesies sweeten life; the greater ennoble it.
Example 1 of 10
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