Synonyms of promote
67 similar words · 60 opposite words
Another word for promote is advance. Other synonyms of promote are forward, honor, uplift, elevate and encourage. The opposite of promote is demote.
Synonyms and similar words for promote
verbTo raise (someone) to a more important, responsible, or remunerative job or rank.
- dignifyTo exalt in rank.
- elevateTo promote (someone) to a higher rank.
- upliftTo raise something or someone to a higher physical, social, moral, intellectual, spiritual, or emotional level.
- advanceTo raise (someone) in rank or office; to prefer, to promote.
- aggrandize
- ennobleTo bestow with nobility, honour or grace.
- exaltTo raise in rank, status etc., to elevate.
- honorTo confer (bestow) an honour or privilege upon (someone).
- nobilitateTo make noble; to ennoble; to exalt.
- raiseTo promote.
- prefer datedTo advance, promote (someone or something).
verbTo advocate or urge on behalf of (something or someone); to attempt to popularize or sell by means...
verbTo encourage, urge or incite.
- motivateTo provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.
- provokeTo bring about a reaction.
- 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.
- encourageTo mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
- 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.
- fomentTo incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.
- 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.
- instigate
- invokeTo bring about as an inevitable consequence.
- lash
- motiveTo prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
- obligate
- oblige
- pushTo continually attempt to persuade (a person) into a particular course of action.
- promptTo initiate; to cause or lead to.
- 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.
- fosterTo promote the development of something; to cultivate and grow a thing.
- feed
- grow
- culture
- cultivate
- abet obsoleteTo urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
- 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 promote
verbTo raise (someone) to a more important, responsible, or remunerative job or rank.
verbTo advocate or urge on behalf of (something or someone); to attempt to popularize or sell by means...
- denigrate
- oppose
- assassinate figuratively
- asperse
- backbite
- badmouthTo criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully.
- befoul figuratively
- besmirch
- besmear
- blacken
- blaze
- blemish
- blot
- blur
- calumniate
- calumnyTo make false accusations or levy false charges against a person with the intent to tarnish that person's reputation or...
- chat shit slang, vulgar
- chat shite Ireland, UK
- cloud
- defame
- demonize figuratively
- deprave
- depreciateTo belittle or disparage.
- detract
- dirty
- discredit
- disgraceTo put someone or something out of favor; to bring shame or ignominy upon.
- disparage
- disreputeTo bring into disrepute; to hold in dishonor.
- diss slangTo put (someone) down, or show disrespect by the use of insulting language or dismissive behaviour.
- drag through the mudTo tarnish or spoil enough so that something or someone is no longer respectable.
- foul
- infamizeTo make infamous; to defame or smear.
- lampoonTo satirize or poke fun at.
- libel
- malign
- monsterize
- muddy figuratively
- reproach
- revileTo attack (someone) with abusive language.
- shit-talk slang, vulgar
- slag UK, slang
- smear
- spot
- speak ill ofTo vilify; to defame; to criticize.
- stab figuratively
- stain
- sully
- talk shit slang, vulgar
- talk shite UK, slang
- talk trash US, slang
- tarnish
- torch figuratively
- traduce
- trash-talk US, slangTo insult a rival in a disparaging way.
- unflatterTo show or display in a bad light; to portray unfavorably.
- vilify
- villainizeTo represent as a villain.
Meaning of promote
- verb To raise (someone) to a more important, responsible, or remunerative job or rank.
- verb To advocate or urge on behalf of (something or someone); to attempt to popularize or sell by means of advertising or publicity.
- verb To encourage, urge or incite.
promote in other languages
Questions about synonyms of promote
- What is another word for promote?
- Promote has 67 synonyms on Word.ws, such as advance, forward, honor, uplift, elevate, encourage, push and exalt.
- What is the opposite of promote?
- The opposite of promote is demote. Other antonyms of promote are depreciate, disgrace and disrepute.
- What does promote mean?
- Promote means to raise (someone) to a more important, responsible, or remunerative job or rank.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: promote (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 promote.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/promote. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.