MOTIVATING Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

motivating 1 of 2

adjective

as in motivational

serving or likely to arouse action or activity The biggest motivating factor behind her decision to change jobs was the pay increase. The positive feedback he received was very motivating.

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motivating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of motivate

as in encouraging

to rouse to action or activity The presence of treats motivated the dogs to obey their owner's commands. They drove a campaign to motivate voters to show up to the polls.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of motivating

Verb

Whatever's motivating the withdrawal, the impact on the other person can be similar. — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026 Rather than motivating her to get back into the studio, Cardi, 33, said the complaints can have the opposite effect. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 Consider that our discipline to pare back our Procter & Gamble position on Tuesday afternoon proved to be prudent when the Tide maker’s earnings came out earlier Wednesday, sending shares lower (and ultimately motivating our exit of P & G ). — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 30 July 2026 There are no guarantees, but a caring conversation, genuine curiosity and a willingness to understand what is motivating them may make a difference. — Larry Magid, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Just motivating your family to move away from the traditional blue-collar jobs that we’re forced to do. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 What, then, is motivating the 41-year-old to don Portugal’s kit for his sixth and final World Cup this summer? — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026 Blorian said Sporting’s current last-place standing is motivating and a welcome challenge to bring the club back up. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026 But one thing that can help is understanding what is (or isn’t) motivating other fans. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivating

Adjective

Instead, his endless threats worked like an aggressive motivational speech, compelling Canadians to come to their senses about the state of their overdependent relationship.

— Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
Tristan compared the strategy to Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat — an outlandish character capable of attracting an audience that a conventional motivational speaker could never reach.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of motivational

Verb

Historically, the United States has sent mixed messages to Europeans, encouraging them to step up but then scolding them for seeking autonomy.

— JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
The scarcity itself became part of the appeal, encouraging moviegoers to attend early, return for later editions and share the collectibles online.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of encouraging

Verb

Jones wanted to show that despite her stern attitude with John and forcing him to grow up, her love for her child always comes through.

— Matt Minton, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
However, analysts warn that the plans will likely take years to come to fruition, forcing countries to seek immediate alternatives elsewhere.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of forcing

Verb

The hiring of the Catalan content creator, however, has only served to enrage the public, rather than enticing them to watch the race.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
If analyst predictions prove correct and the iPhone Fold tops out at $2,400, Apple will have to find a way to make that enticing through pre-order deals and high trade-in prices.

— Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of enticing

Verb

In March, one of DraftKings’ cofounders, Matthew Kalish, stepped down as president—but not before persuading the board to approve a series of potentially lucrative deals to benefit his new marketing company.

— Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
According to sources close to the player, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, an early-summer meeting with Howe in London proved crucial in persuading Steur to move to Tyneside.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of persuading

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“Motivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivating. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of motivating

adjective

verb

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Browse Nearby Words

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