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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
The original business premise was that loyalty programs create stickiness among consumers, motivating people to return for subsequent purchases.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 8 Apr. 2026
The Mamdani campaign was wildly successful at motivating tenants to vote.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 6 Apr. 2026
Essentially, providing a reward for doing well shapes behavior by motivating kids to keep doing well.
—Amy Morin, Parents, 1 Apr. 2026
In recent months, some people have wondered whether the World Cup is motivating the city's efforts.
—Emily McLeod, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Have the original goals motivating the PDO been realized?
—Richard Dahlberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Sometimes that may include the language of a speech, verbalizing a vision and motivating others to move toward it.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The third factor motivating this type of heroic behavior was social ties.
—Catherine A. Sanderson, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
Motivated Mars activates your 6th House of Well-being as of today, motivating you to reconfigure routines and direct your formidable focus toward the tasks that truly count.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
The original business premise was that loyalty programs create stickiness among consumers, motivating people to return for subsequent purchases.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 8 Apr. 2026
The Mamdani campaign was wildly successful at motivating tenants to vote.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 6 Apr. 2026
Essentially, providing a reward for doing well shapes behavior by motivating kids to keep doing well.
—Amy Morin, Parents, 1 Apr. 2026
In recent months, some people have wondered whether the World Cup is motivating the city's efforts.
—Emily McLeod, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Have the original goals motivating the PDO been realized?
—Richard Dahlberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Sometimes that may include the language of a speech, verbalizing a vision and motivating others to move toward it.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The third factor motivating this type of heroic behavior was social ties.
—Catherine A. Sanderson, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivating
Adjective
-
Then and only then will Hafley begin to change the cosmetics of the locker room, doing things like putting up motivational signage and what not.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
-
At times during her career, Close was viewed as an excellent recruiter and strong motivational speaker, but her tactical decisions were easy to question every time her team faltered during big moments.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Setting kind, consistent boundaries and encouraging independence helps kids develop important life skills and emotional regulation.—
Taylor Grothe,
Parents,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Clever Mercury in your sign trines lucky Jupiter in your 5th House of Delight, giving your words a playful glow and encouraging authentic self-expression.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For small trucking companies, the increases are forcing difficult decisions.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of viewing constraints as blockers (budget, time, market conditions), treat them as forcing functions that sharpen decision-making.—
Lisa Song Sutton,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The filmmaker returns to Slovenia to capture a portrait of an inspiring female figure in her life.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Discoveries One of the most inspiring parts of this story is who is making these discoveries.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Without a bobber stopper, on a slack line, your bullet weight will sink to the bottom, but your soft plastic will slowly glide towards the bottom while enticing hungry bass into biting.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Detectives reviewed the materials and obtained a warrant charging Melnick with harmful communications with a minor, enticing a minor and misrepresenting age to entice a minor.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That would involve changing some state laws, persuading housing lenders to be more accommodating and overcoming resistance from construction unions.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The job of persuading players with Congolese ties to represent the country’s national team on its long-shot run to the World Cup fell to Gabriel Zakuani, a Congolese player whose career had been spent mostly in England.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The funding aims to enhance all-weather roads, stormwater drainage, street lighting, and public markets to improve transport connections, reduce flooding, and boost public safety, while also stimulating the local economy.—
Paige Bruton,
semafor.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Xie said the massage is based on traditional Chinese medicine, focusing on stimulating acupressure points around the eyes.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivating. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
