Meaning & use
Motivate
Last updated
To give someone a reason or incentive to do something; to stimulate interest or effort.
See it in a sentence
A good coach knows how to motivate players even after a tough loss.
Fear of failure motivated her to prepare far more than the assignment required.
A note on using this word
The word traces back to the Latin 'motivus,' meaning 'moving,' the same root shared with 'motion' and 'motive.'
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
discouragedemotivate
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