Synonyms of abet
56 similar words · 49 opposite words
Another word for abet is collude. Other synonyms of abet are support.
Synonyms and similar words for abet
verbTo incite; to assist or encourage by aid or countenance in crime.
verbTo support, countenance, maintain, uphold, or aid (any good cause, opinion, or action).
verbTo urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
- instigate
- fomentTo incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.
- encourageTo mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
- actuateTo incite to action; to motivate.
- goose
- fuel
- light a fire underTo motivate or encourage (someone) to start sooner or move faster.
- send
- sting
- bring aboutTo cause to take place.
- drawTo attract or provoke (a particular reaction or response) from someone.
- driveTo motivate; to provide an incentive for.
- egg onTo encourage or coax (a person) to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.
- engenderTo bring into existence (a situation, quality, result etc.); to give rise to, cause, create.
- evokeTo elicit a response.
- exciteTo arouse or bring out (e.g. feelings); to stimulate.
- goadTo incite or provoke.
- ignite figurativelyTo spark off (something), to trigger.
- impelTo urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation.
- incite
- induceTo cause, bring about, lead to.
- inflame figurativelyTo excite or intensify (a feeling, such as an appetite or passion), especially to an excessive or unnatural level.
- invokeTo bring about as an inevitable consequence.
- lash
- motiveTo prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
- motivateTo provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.
- obligate
- oblige
- pushTo continually attempt to persuade (a person) into a particular course of action.
- promoteTo encourage, urge or incite.
- promptTo initiate; to cause or lead to.
- provokeTo bring about a reaction.
- rouseTo provoke (someone) to react (for example, in anger or annoyance); to spur; also, to annoy, to tease.
- set offTo begin; to cause; to initiate.
- spark offTo initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.
- spurTo urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object.
- spur onTo spur or urge (someone) to do something.
- stimulateTo encourage into action.
- stirTo incite to action.
- stir upTo arouse or excite (passion or action, etc.).
- stoke figuratively
- temptTo provoke something; to court.
- urgeTo put mental pressure on; to ply with motives, arguments, persuasion, or importunity.
- whip upTo arouse or excite.
- cheer obsoleteTo encourage to do something.
- grill Scotland, USTo make angry; provoke; offend, incite.
- move obsoleteTo incite, urge (someone to do something); to solicit (someone for or of an issue); to make a proposal to.
- whet obsoleteTo inculcate or teach (habits, information, etc.).
Opposite of abet
verbTo urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
- baffle
- confound
- counteract
- denounce
- deter
- behedge
- blunt
- crimp
- foreclose formal
- delay
- diminish
- forestay
- retroact
- interfere
- intervene
- forslow
- frustrate
- get in the wayTo obstruct, hinder, or interfere.
- hamper
- dash
- handicap
- hinder
- hold up
- hurt
- impair
- impedeTo get in the way of; to hinder.
- incommodeTo cause (someone or something) inconvenience; to hinder, to impede, to inconvenience, to obstruct.
- lessen
- let
- marTo spoil; to ruin; to scathe; to damage.
- obstruct
- overslaugh US, dialectalTo hinder or stop, as by an overslaugh or impediment.
- precludeTo remove the possibility of; to rule out; to prevent or exclude; to render impossible.
- prevent
- prohibitTo forbid, disallow, or proscribe officially; to make illegal or illicit.
- reduce
- restrict
- retard
- slow down
- stay
- stymie
- thwart
- thwartenTo be positioned contrary to; be set against; oppose; hinder.
- umbeset
- undermine
- weaken
- worsen
- difficult obsoleteTo make difficult, hinder; to impede; to perplex.
- prevene obsolete
Meaning of abet
- verb To incite; to assist or encourage by aid or countenance in crime.
- verb To support, countenance, maintain, uphold, or aid (any good cause, opinion, or action).
- verb To urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
abet in other languages
Questions about synonyms of abet
- What is another word for abet?
- Abet has 56 synonyms on Word.ws, such as collude and support.
- What is the opposite of abet?
- The opposite of abet is baffle. Other antonyms of abet are confound, counteract, denounce, deter and behedge.
- What does abet mean?
- Abet means to incite; to assist or encourage by aid or countenance in crime.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: abet (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of abet.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/abet. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.