| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | instigate, provoke |
| Synonyms: | abet, agitate, arouse, brew, cultivate, encourage, excite, fan the flames, foster, goad, incite, nurse, nurture, promote, quicken, raise, set, set on, sow the seeds, spur, start, stimulate, stir up, whip up |
| Antonyms: | cease, dampen, discourage, dissuade, stop |
| 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: | goad |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | stimulus |
| Synonyms: | catalyst, compulsion, desire, drive, impetus, impulse, impulsion, incentive, incitation, incitement, irritation, lash, lust, motivation, passion, pressure, prod, spur, urge, whip, zeal |
| Antonyms: | deterrent, discouragement, diversion, restraint |
| Main Entry: | goad |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | egg on, incite |
| Synonyms: | animate, annoy, arouse, bully, coerce, drive, encourage, excite, exhort, fire up, force, goose, harass, hound, impel, inspirit, instigate, irritate, key up, lash, move, needle, press, prick*, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, push, put up to, rowel, sic, sound, spark*, spur, stimulate, sting*, tease, thrust, trigger, turn on, urge, whip*, work up, worry |
| Antonyms: | discourage, dissuade |
| Main Entry: | herd |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | gather; shepherd |
| Synonyms: | assemble, associate, collect, congregate, corral, drive, flock, force, goad, guide, huddle, lead, muster, poke, punch, rally, round up, run, scare up, spur |
| Notes: | heard means detected or perceived by the sense of hearing while a herd is a group of wild animals of one species that remain together |
| Antonyms: | disperse, scatter |
| Main Entry: | hurry |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | act, move speedily |
| Synonyms: | accelerate, barrel, be quick, beeline, bestir, breeze, bullet, burst, bustle, dash, dig in, drive, expedite, fleet, flit, fly, get a move on, go like lightning, goad, haste, hasten, hurry up, hustle, jog, lose no time, make haste, make short work of, make time, make tracks, nip, push, quicken, race, rip, rocket, roll, run, rush, sally, scoot, scurry, shake a leg, smoke, speed, speed up, spur, step on gas, step on it, turn on steam, urge, whirl, whish, whisk, whiz, zip |
| Antonyms: | dally, dawdle, delay, procrastinate, rest, slow, stall, wait |
| 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 |
| Main Entry: | impetus |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | stimulus, force |
| Synonyms: | catalyst, energy, goad, impulse, impulsion, incentive, incitation, incitement, momentum, motivation, power, pressure, push, spur, stimulant, urge |
| Antonyms: | block, check, hindrance |
| Main Entry: | impulse |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | drive, resolve |
| Synonyms: | actuation, appeal, bent, caprice, catalyst, desire, disposition, excitant, extemporization, fancy, feeling, flash*, goad, hunch, impellent, impulsion, incitation, incitement, inclination, influence, inspiration, instinct, itch, lash, lust, mind, motivation, motive, notion, passion, spontaneity, spur, thought, urge, vagary, whim, whimsy, wish, yen |