enhardir

To embolden — most often reflexive, s'enhardir, meaning to grow bolder or work up the courage to do something. A slightly literary verb, common in narrative writing to mark a character's growing confidence.

• Le succès l'a enhardi à tenter de nouveaux projets. — Success emboldened him to try new projects.
• Elle s'enhardit peu à peu à prendre la parole en public. — She's gradually working up the courage to speak in public.
• Ce premier refus ne fit que l'enhardir davantage. — That first refusal only made him bolder.

Learners sometimes reach for encourager (to encourage), which is close but implies someone else doing the encouraging — enhardir (especially s'enhardir) is more about someone's own courage growing, often through repeated small successes.