hortatory
Meant to exhort
Hortatory describes speech or writing that urges, encourages, or exhorts.
A hortatory sermon calls listeners to action; hortatory rhetoric aims to persuade rather than inform.
The word often carries a slightly critical edge, suggesting the urging is heavy-handed or preachy: The essay devolved into hortatory platitudes about civic duty.
Strongly encouraging action
- admonitionMild verbal correction
- preachingDelivering moral discourse
- sermonizingLecturing on morals
- declamationForceful, theatrical speaking
rhetoric · oratory · persuasion · appeal · entreaty · imploring · beseeching · adjuration
Emotionally encouraging
- supportiveOffering help and reassurance
- hearteningInspiring confidence or cheer
- reassuringRestoring calm or confidence
- empoweringGiving authority or confidence
inspirational · rousing · galvanizing · motivating · stimulating · invigorating · affirming · cheering
Serving to teach
- educationalPromoting knowledge or skill
- moralisticProne to lecturing others
- preachyExcessively moralizing in tone
- advisoryNotice recommending action
prescriptive · directive · cautionary · edifying · pedagogical · teaching · guiding · counseling
Able to persuade
- compellingPowerfully engaging or persuasive
- eloquentFluent and persuasive
- argumentativeInclined to dispute
- influentialHaving considerable effect
cogent · forceful · assertive · articulate · silver-tongued · rhetorical · coaxing · enticing
urging
Strongly encouraging action
- admonitionMild verbal correction
- preachingDelivering moral discourse
- sermonizingLecturing on morals
declamation · rhetoric · oratory · persuasion · appeal · entreaty · imploring · beseeching · adjuration · rallying
uplifting
Emotionally encouraging
- supportiveOffering help and reassurance
- hearteningInspiring confidence or cheer
- reassuringRestoring calm or confidence
empowering · inspirational · rousing · galvanizing · motivating · stimulating · invigorating · affirming · cheering · boosting
instructive
Serving to teach
- educationalPromoting knowledge or skill
- moralisticProne to lecturing others
- preachyExcessively moralizing in tone
advisory · prescriptive · directive · cautionary · edifying · pedagogical · teaching · guiding · counseling · admonishing
convincing
Able to persuade
- compellingPowerfully engaging or persuasive
- eloquentFluent and persuasive
- argumentativeInclined to dispute
influential · cogent · forceful · assertive · articulate · silver-tongued · rhetorical · coaxing · enticing · winning
earnest
Sincerely intense in purpose
- passionateIntensely emotional or enthusiastic
- zealousPassionately eager and active
- vehementIntensely forceful in feeling
ardent · impassioned · intense · spirited · fiery · forceful · vigorous · emphatic · insistent · urgent
hortatorydiscouraging
Causing loss of confidence
dissuasive · deterrent · cautionary · admonitory · warning
hortatorydescriptive
Portraying with specific details
expository · informative · declarative · factual · objective