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motivation - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | motivation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | ambition, inspiration |
| Synonyms: | action, angle, catalyst, desire, disposition, drive, encouragement, fire, gimmick, hunger, impetus, impulse, incentive, incitement, inclination, inducement, instigation, interest, kick*, motive, persuasion, predisposition, provocation, push, reason, right stuff*, spur, stimulus, suggestion, wish, actuation, get up and go, goose*, impulsion, incitation, predetermination |
| Antonyms: | depression, discouragement |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | ax to grind |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | hidden motive |
| Synonyms: | agenda, hidden agenda, incentive, motivation, motive, reason, driving force, score to settle |
| Main Entry: | catalyst |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | something which incites activity |
| Synonyms: | agitator, goad, impetus, impulse, incendiary, incentive, incitement, motivation, reactionary, spark plug, spur, stimulant, adjuvant, enzyme, incitation, radical stimulus, reactant, synergist, wave maker |
| Antonyms: | block, prevention, blockage, preventer |
| Main Entry: | excitement |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | enthusiasm; incitement |
| Synonyms: | action, activity, ado, adventure, agitation, animation, bother, buzz*, commotion, confusion, disturbance, dither*, drama, elation, emotion, feeling, ferment, fever, flurry, frenzy, furor, fuss, heat*, hubbub*, hullabaloo*, hurry, hysteria, impulse, instigation, intoxication, motivation, motive, movement, passion, perturbation, provocation, rage, stimulation, stimulus, stir, thrill, titillation, to-do*, trepidation, tumult, turmoil, urge, warmth, discomposure, excitation, kicks, melodrama, wildness |
| Antonyms: | apathy, boredom, calm, calmness, dullness, lull, peace |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | goad |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | stimulus |
| Synonyms: | catalyst, compulsion, desire, drive, impetus, impulse, incentive, incitement, irritation, lash, lust, motivation, passion, pressure, prod, spur, urge, whip, zeal, impulsion, incitation |
| Antonyms: | deterrent, discouragement, diversion, restraint |
| Main Entry: | impetus |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | stimulus, force |
| Synonyms: | catalyst, energy, goad, impulse, incentive, incitement, momentum, motivation, power, pressure, push, spur, stimulant, urge, impulsion, incitation |
| Antonyms: | block, check, hindrance |
| Main Entry: | incentive |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | lure, inducement |
| Synonyms: | bait, catalyst, come-on*, consideration, drive, encouragement, enticement, excuse, exhortation, goad, ground, impetus, impulse, incitement, influence, insistence, inspiration, instigation, motivation, motive, persuasion, provocation, purpose, rationale, reason, spring, spur, stimulant, stimulation, stimulus, temptation, urge, whip, allurement, carrot*, determinant, reason why |
| Notes: | the temporal orientation of incentive is toward the future; that of inducement is toward the past |
| Antonyms: | block, hindrance, turn-off |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | inspiration |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | idea, stimulus |
| Synonyms: | animus, approach, awakening, brainstorm*, creativity, elevation, encouragement, enthusiasm, exaltation, fancy, flash*, genius, hunch*, illumination, impulse, incentive, influence, insight, motivation, motive, muse, notion, revelation, rumble, spark, spur, stimulation, thought, vision, whim, afflatus, arousal, brainchild, deep think, inflatus |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | motive |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, purpose |
| Synonyms: | aim, antecedent, basis, cause, consideration, design, drive, emotion, end, feeling, grounds, idea, impulse, incentive, incitement, inducement, influence, inspiration, intent, intention, motivation, object, occasion, passion, rationale, root, spring, spur, stimulus, thinking, determinant, mainspring |
| Antonyms: | deterrent, discouragement, hindrance |
| Main Entry: | pick-me-up |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | stimulant |
| Synonyms: | catalyst, drug, incentive, motivation, motive, restorative, spur, stimulus, tonic, upper, analeptic, energizer, reviver, shot in the arm, spark pulg |
| Main Entry: | provocation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | incitement, stimulus |
| Synonyms: | affront, annoyance, cause, challenge, dare, defy, grievance, grounds, harassment, incentive, indignity, inducement, injury, instigation, insult, justification, motivation, offense, provoking, reason, taunt, vexation, bothering, brickbat, casus belli, grabber, irking, vexing |
| Antonyms: | prevention, repression, suppression |
| Main Entry: | rationale |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | logic for belief, action |
| Synonyms: | account, excuse, explanation, exposition, grounds, hypothesis, justification, motivation, motive, philosophy, principle, raison d'être, rationalization, reason, reasons, song and dance*, sour grapes, story*, the big idea, the whole idea, theory, whatfor, why and wherefore, whyfor |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | spur |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | incitement, stimulus |
| Synonyms: | catalyst, goad, impetus, impulse, incentive, inducement, motivation, motive, needle*, prick, stimulant, trigger, urge, activation, actuation, excitant, goose*, incitation, turn-on |
| Antonyms: | curb, hindrance |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | stimulant |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | substance that invigorates |
| Synonyms: | catalyst, drug, goad, impetus, impulse, incentive, incitement, motivation, motive, pick-me-up*, restorative, spark plug, spur, stimulus, tonic, upper, analeptic, bracer, energizer, excitant, incitation, reviver, shot in the arm |
| Antonyms: | depressant |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | stimulus |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | provocation |
| Synonyms: | bang*, boost, catalyst, cause, charge, encouragement, fillip, fireworks*, flash*, goad, impetus, impulse, incentive, incitement, inducement, instigation, invitation, kick*, motivation, motive, push, spur, stimulant, stimulation, sting*, urging, eye-opener, incitation, piquing, propellant, shot in the arm, turn-on |
| Antonyms: | discouragement, hindrance, tranquilizer |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | cause |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | agent, originator |
| Synonyms: | account, agency, aim, antecedent, author, basis, beginning, consideration, creator, doer, element, end, explanation, foundation, genesis, ground, grounds, incitement, inducement, instigation, leaven, maker, matter, motivation, motive, object, occasion, origin, prime mover, principle, purpose, root, source, spring, stimulation, causation, determinant, mainspring, producer |
| Antonyms: | consequence, development, effect, end, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, product, result |
| Main Entry: | impulse |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | drive, resolve |
| Synonyms: | appeal, bent, caprice, catalyst, desire, disposition, fancy, feeling, flash*, goad, hunch, incitement, inclination, influence, inspiration, instinct, itch*, lash, lust, mind, motivation, motive, notion, passion, spontaneity, spur, thought, urge, vagary, whim, whimsy, wish, yen, actuation, excitant, extemporization, impellent, impulsion, incitation |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | spirit |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | soul, attitude |
| Synonyms: | air, animation, ardor, backbone*, boldness, breath, character, complexion, courage, disposition, earnestness, energy, enterprise, enthusiasm, essence, fire, force, frame of mind, grit*, guts*, heart, humor, jazz*, life, life force, liveliness, mettle, mood, morale, motivation, nerve, oomph*, outlook, psyche, quality, resolution, resolve, sparkle, spunk*, substance, temper, temperament, tenor, vigor, vitality, warmth, will, willpower, zest, dauntlessness, gameness, stoutheartedness, vital spark |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | occasion |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, cause |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, basis, call, circumstance, excuse, foundation, ground, grounds, incident, inducement, influence, justification, motivation, motive, necessity, obligation, provocation, purpose, right, warrant, determinant, prompting |
| Main Entry: | reason |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | intention, aim |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, argument, basis, cause, consideration, design, end, goal, grounds, idea, impetus, incentive, inducement, motivation, motive, object, occasion, proof, purpose, rationale, root, spring, target, warrant, wherefore*, why, determinant, ulterior motive, why and wherefore, whyfor |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
