Meaning & use
motivated
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Eager and willing to work hard at something because you want to achieve it.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after a linking verb; takes to plus a verb: motivated to succeed.
Patterns
- motivated to do something
- highly motivated
- motivated by something
She is a motivated student who always finishes her homework early.
He felt motivated to train after seeing his progress.
adjectiveafter a verb
Caused or driven by a particular reason or feeling.
Grammar: Followed by by or a modifier like politically: the attack was politically motivated.
Patterns
- motivated by something
- politically motivated
Police said the attack was racially motivated.
Her decision was motivated by concern for her family.
Word forms
| comparative | more motivated |
|---|---|
| superlative | most motivated |
Common combinations
- highly motivated
- The team is highly motivated to win.
- self-motivated
- She is self-motivated and needs little supervision.
- politically motivated
- He claimed the charges were politically motivated.
- stay motivated
- It is hard to stay motivated in winter.
- financially motivated
- The scheme was financially motivated.
Synonyms and how they differ
- driven
- Suggests an intense, sometimes obsessive desire to succeed, stronger than motivated.
- keen
- Shows enthusiasm for doing something but not necessarily long-term effort.
- determined
- Stresses refusing to give up, especially when facing obstacles.
Opposites
Word family
- motivate verb
- to make someone want to do something
- motivation noun
- the reason or drive to act
- motivating adjective
- causing people to feel eager
- unmotivated adjective
- lacking drive
Commonly confused: motivated or motivating?
motivated vs motivating
Motivating describes what causes eagerness in others (a motivating speech); motivated describes the person who feels it.
Practice
The coach's speech was ______, and the players left the room eager to win.
Choose one answer.
Motivating describes something that creates drive in others. Motivated would describe the players, not the speech.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “motivated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.