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spur - 20 thesaurus results
| 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: | spur |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | incite, prompt |
| Synonyms: | animate, arouse, awaken, countenance, drive, egg on*, exhort, favor, goad, impel, instigate, press, prick, prod, propel, push, rally, rouse, spark, stimulate, stir, trigger, turn on, urge, work up, fire up, goose*, key up, put up to, sic |
| Antonyms: | disapprove, discourage, dissuade |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | abet |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | assist, help in wrongdoing |
| Synonyms: | advocate, back, condone, egg on*, encourage, endorse, goad, incite, instigate, prod, promote, provoke, sanction, spur, support, urge |
| Antonyms: | counter, deter, discourage, frustrate, hinder, hurt, impede, obstruct, resist |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | accelerate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | increase speed, timing |
| Synonyms: | advance, drive, dust*, expedite, forward, further, gun*, hasten, hurry, impel, precipitate, quicken, railroad*, roll*, spur, step up, stimulate, tool*, fire up, hammer on, lay a patch, lay rubber, make tracks, nail it, open up, peel rubber, put on afterburners, put pedal to metal, rev, rev up, speed up, step on gas |
| Antonyms: | decelerate, defer, hinder, impede, postpone, retard, slow down |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | actuate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | start a function or action, motivate |
| Synonyms: | activate, animate, arouse, cause, drive, egg on*, energize, excite, impel, incite, induce, influence, inspire, instigate, mobilize, motivate, move, prompt, propel, quicken, rouse, spur, stimulate, turn on*, work up*, fire up, key up, put up to, work into lather |
| 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 |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | animate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring to life |
| Synonyms: | activate, arouse, cheer, embolden, encourage, energize, enliven, exalt, excite, fire, gladden, hearten, impel, incite, inform, inspire, instigate, invigorate, kindle, move, quicken, revive, rouse, spark, spur, stimulate, stir, urge, vivify, inspirit, liven, make alive, revivify, vitalize |
| Antonyms: | deaden, discourage, kill |
| Main Entry: | arouse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | excite, entice |
| Synonyms: | agitate, alert, animate, awaken, call, challenge, electrify, enliven, foment, foster, goad, incite, inflame, instigate, kindle, move, provoke, rally, rouse, send, spark, spur, stimulate, stir, thrill, turn on, warm, whet, whip up, work up, fire up, heat up, wake up, waken |
| Antonyms: | bore, calm, lull, quiet |
| 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: | claw |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | nail of animal; tool shaped like nail of an animal |
| Synonyms: | barb, crook, hook, nipper, paw, spur, talon, tentacle, cant hook, clapperclaw, fang, fingernail, grapnel, grappler, manus, nail claw, pincer, retractile, unguis, ungula |
| Main Entry: | egg on |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | push to do something |
| Synonyms: | agitate, arouse, drive, encourage, excite, exhort, goad, incite, instigate, pique, prick, prod, prompt, propel, rally, spur, stimulate, urge, whip up, sic, stir up |
| Antonyms: | discourage, dissuade, hold back, talk out of |
| Main Entry: | embolden |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | encourage |
| Synonyms: | boost, buoy, cheer, energize, exhilarate, goad, inspire, invigorate, push, rally, reassure, refresh, spur, stir, sway, enhearten, give courage, give pep talk, inspirit, psyche up, revitalize |
| Main Entry: | enforce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | put a rule, plan in force |
| Synonyms: | accomplish, administer, apply, carry out, coerce, commandeer, compel, constrain, demand, dictate, discharge, drive, effect, egg on*, emphasize, exact, execute, exert, expect, extort, fortify, fulfill, goad, hound, impel, implement, impose, incite, invoke, lash, make, necessitate, oblige, perform, press, prosecute, reinforce, require, sanction, spur, strain, stress, strong-arm, support, urge, whip, wrest, administrate, crack down, dragoon, force upon, insist on, lean on, put into effect, put screws to |
| Antonyms: | abandon, disregard, drop, forego, forget, neglect, overlook, give up |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | enforcement |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | requirement to obey; implementation of rule(s) |
| Synonyms: | administration, application, coercion, compulsion, constraint, duress, execution, imposition, insistence, lash, martial law, obligation, prescription, pressure, prosecution, reinforcement, spur, whip, carrying out, compulsory law, enforcing, exaction, fulfilling, impulsion, necessitation |
| Antonyms: | abandon, disregard, forgetfulness, neglect, renunciation, slight |
| Main Entry: | exhort |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | urge, warn |
| Synonyms: | admonish, advise, beseech, bid, caution, counsel, egg on*, encourage, enjoin, entreat, goad, incite, insist, persuade, plead, preach, press, pressure, prick, prod, prompt, propel, spur, stimulate, call upon |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | foment |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | instigate, provoke |
| Synonyms: | abet, agitate, arouse, brew, cultivate, encourage, excite, foster, goad, incite, nurse, nurture, promote, quicken, raise, set, spur, start, stimulate, whip up*, fan the flames, set on, sow the seeds, stir up |
| Antonyms: | cease, dampen, discourage, dissuade, stop |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | gadfly |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | goad; nuisance |
| Synonyms: | annoyance, irritant, pest, prod, spur, energizer, excitant, motivator, mover, stimulator |
| Main Entry: | galvanize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | inspire, stimulate |
| Synonyms: | animate, arouse, astonish, awaken, electrify, energize, excite, fire*, frighten, invigorate, jolt, motivate, move, pique, prime, provoke, quicken, shock, spur, startle, stir, stun, thrill, wake, zap*, commove, innervate, vitalize |
| Antonyms: | depress, deter, discourage, disparage, dissuade, retard |
* = 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: | goad |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | egg on, incite |
| Synonyms: | animate, annoy, arouse, bully, coerce, drive, encourage, excite, exhort, force, harass, hound, impel, instigate, irritate, lash, move, needle*, press, prick*, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, push, sound, spark*, spur, stimulate, sting*, tease, thrust, trigger, turn on*, urge, whip*, work up, worry, fire up, goose*, inspirit, key up, put up to, rowel, sic |
| Antonyms: | discourage, dissuade |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| 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, spur, scare up |
| Antonyms: | disperse, scatter |
* = 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.
