Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of motivate

48 similar words · 5 opposite words

Another word for motivate is encourage. Other synonyms of motivate are push, motive, stimulate, urge and promote. The opposite of motivate is dissuade.

Synonyms and similar words for motivate

verbTo provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.

  • driveTo motivate; to provide an incentive for.
  • spurTo urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 motivate

verbTo provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.

verbTo animate; to propel; to cause to take action.

Meaning of motivate

  1. verb To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.
  2. verb To animate; to propel; to cause to take action.

Full definition of motivate

motivate in other languages

Questions about synonyms of motivate

What is another word for motivate?
Motivate has 48 synonyms on Word.ws, such as encourage, push, motive, stimulate, urge, promote, spur and induce.
What is the opposite of motivate?
The opposite of motivate is dissuade. Other antonyms of motivate are stop.
What does motivate mean?
Motivate means to provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: motivate (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 motivate.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/motivate. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.