motivate

Main Entry:
motivate [moh-tuh-veyt]
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: stimulate, instigate
Synonyms: actuate, arouse, bring, cause, dispose, draw, drive, egg on, excite, fire, galvanize, give incentive, goad, goose, impel, incite, incline, induce, innervate, innerve, inspire, inspirit, lead, move, persuade, pique, predetermine, predispose, prevail upon, prompt, propel, provoke, quicken, rouse, set afoot, set astir, sound, spark, spur, suggest, sway, touch off, trigger, whet
Antonyms: depress, disconcert, discourage, dissuade
Main Entry: actuate
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: start a function or action, motivate
Synonyms: activate, animate, arouse, cause, drive, egg on, energize, excite, fire up, impel, incite, induce, influence, inspire, instigate, key up, mobilize, motivate, move, prompt, propel, put up to, quicken, rouse, spur, stimulate, turn on, work into lather, work up
Notes: when something is activated, it is made active; when something is actuated, it is moved to take action (or produce a consequence)
to actuate is a general word meaning 'to set working' and has more to do with mechanical action - while activate is used mainly in scientific expressions
Antonyms: impede, stop
Main Entry: begin
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: start
Synonyms: activate, actualize, break ground, break the ice, bring about, bring to pass, cause, commence, create, do, drive, effect, embark on, enter on, enter upon, establish, eventuate, found, generate, get going, give birth to, give impulse, go ahead, go into, impel, inaugurate, induce, initiate, instigate, institute, introduce, launch, lay foundation for, lead, make, make active, motivate, mount, occasion, open, originate, plunge into, prepare, produce, set about, set in motion, set up, trigger, undertake
Antonyms: complete, conclude, consummate, end, finish
Main Entry: cause
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: bring into being; bring about
Synonyms: be at the bottom of, begin, brainstorm*, break in, break the ice, breed, bring to pass, come out with, compel, cook up, create, dream up, effect, elicit, engender, evoke, fire up, generate, get things rolling, give rise to, hatch, incite, induce, introduce, kickoff, kindle, lead to, let, make, make up, motivate, muster, occasion, open, originate, precipitate, produce, provoke, result in, revert, secure, sow the seeds, start the ball rolling, think up, work up
Main Entry: dispose
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: place, order; deal with
Synonyms: actuate, adapt, adjust, arrange, array, bend, bias, call the tune, condition, determine, distribute, fix, govern, group, incline, induce, influence, lay down the law, lead, locate, make willing, marshal, methodize, motivate, move, organize, predispose, prepare, promote, prompt, put, put one's foot down, put to rights, range, rank, read the riot act, regulate, ride herd on, set, set in order, settle, shepherd, stand, sway, systematize, tailor, tempt
Notes: predispose differs from dispose by implying that the frame of mind is created some time before it becomes obvious
Antonyms: disarrange, disorder, displace, disturb, mismanage
Main Entry: drive
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: move or urge on
Synonyms: act upon, actuate, animate, arouse, bulldoze, chase, coerce, compel, constrain, dog*, egg on, encourage, force, goad, goose, harass, hasten, herd, hound, hurl, hurry, hustle, impel, induce, inspire, instigate, kick, lean on, make, motivate, nag, oblige, overburden, overwork, pound, press, pressure, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, push, put up to, railroad, ride herd on, rouse, rush, send, shepherd, shove, spirit up, spur, steamroll, stimulate, work on, worry
Antonyms: check, curb, discourage, dissuade, halt, repress, retard, stop
Main Entry: energize
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: activate; give more life
Synonyms: actify, activize, animate, arm, build up, electrify, empower, enable, enliven, excite, fortify, goose, innervate, inspirit, invigorate, jazz up, juice up, liven up, motivate, pep up, prime, pump up, put zip into, quicken, reinforce, start up, stimulate, strengthen, sustain, switch on, trigger, turn on, vitalize, work up, zap
Notes: energize means to cause to be alert or to invigorate while enervate means to weaken mentally or morally
Antonyms: deactivate, debilitate, sap, tire, weaken, weary
Main Entry: galvanize
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: inspire, stimulate
Synonyms: animate, arouse, astonish, awaken, commove, electrify, energize, excite, fire*, frighten, innervate, invigorate, jolt, motivate, move, pique, prime, provoke, quicken, shock, spur, startle, stir, stun, thrill, vitalize, wake, zap
Antonyms: depress, deter, discourage, disparage, dissuade, retard
Main Entry: impel
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: prompt, incite
Synonyms: actuate, boost, compel, constrain, drive, excite, foment, force, goad, induce, influence, inspire, instigate, jog, lash, mobilize, motivate, move, oblige, poke, power, press, prod, propel, push, require, set in motion, shove, spur, start, stimulate, thrust, urge
Notes: impel means to urge or encourage while compel means to take action as a result of pressure or coercion; impel is very similar in meaning to compel but suggests even more strongly an inner drive to do something and often a greater urgency in the desire to act
Antonyms: delay, dissuade, repress, slow, suppress
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