eggs on
Urges toward action
To egg someone on is to encourage or urge them, typically toward something risky or ill-advised: His friends egged him on to jump from the roof.
The phrase often implies peer pressure or goading someone past their better judgment.
Despite the spelling, this egg derives from an Old Norse word meaning to incite, unrelated to the breakfast food.
- encourageUrge forward with support
- stimulateProvoke into activity
- provokeIncite a response
- inciteUrge toward action
- goadIncite to action
embolden · fire up · instigate · prompt · drive · motivate · needle · urge · wind up · inflame · peer pressure · spur · cheer · coax · talk into · entice · put up to · dare
eggs onrestrains
Holds back or controls
holds back · discourages · dissuades · deters · reins in
eggs oncalms
Reduces agitation
soothes · pacifies · mollifies · placates · settles down
eggs oncautions
Warns of risk
warns · discourages · disheartens · demoralizes · throws cold water on