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

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Recent Examples of motivating

Verb

Bravo is fortunate he’s seen Dodger broadcasts mentioning Koufax at the stadium and on TV, motivating him to learn more, which led to seeing his windup on YouTube. —

Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 Republicans, for instance, may try to paint Democrats as obstructionist, potentially motivating a voter backlash against the Democratic Party in the midterm elections. —

The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026 Values act as both a compass and a driving force, pointing you toward the right goals and motivating you to pursue them. —

Harvard Business Review, 22 Apr. 2026 To an uncritical eye, the messages might have seemed like a harmless attempt at motivating a team. —

Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026 His positivity is an asset in motivating others, even as practicality motivates him. —

Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026 The Independence School District, meanwhile, has said that the county’s shifting assessment policies destabilized the largest source of funding for its budget, motivating the district to look elsewhere for a more reliable financing source. —

Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026 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 If seeing everything out at once feels more paralyzing than motivating, a slower, more gradual approach may be a better fit. —

Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 8 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivating

Adjective

Senior pitcher/second baseman Ellie Peck, a Lewis recruit who reached base three times and scored three runs, confirmed that Kuefler’s motivational ploy seems to be working.

— Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
After being released from prison, Belfort became an entrepreneur and motivational speaker.

— Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026