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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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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Recent Examples of motivating
Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
Decluttering your own home might not be motivating on its own, but supporting charitable organizations, reducing landfill waste, and helping others find affordable essentials through donating to thrift stores often does the trick.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2025
China, consistently cited by Wednesday’s speakers as a threat and a motivating factor behind the interest in defense tech, is a distant second at 12%, though Beijing still spends more on defense than most other countries.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
Schniepp also saw lower rates of inflation as well as interest rates, which should boost California’s economy by motivating consumers and helping promote activity in housing, vehicles and commercial real estate.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Many of these leaders have never been equipped with the right tools and expertise to build a psychologically safe and motivating culture where different perspectives and backgrounds can create synergy.
—Csaba Toth, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
For some, of course, the practical benefits are still motivating.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2025
Gen Z's 'treat yourself' mentality For some, money stress isn’t motivating.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
When employees receive recognition, dopamine reinforces the connection between their efforts and positive feedback, motivating continued high performance.
—Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
By sharing stories of corruption, privilege and inequality, social media not only informed but also galvanized Nepal’s youth, motivating collective mobilization against the country’s systemic injustice.
—Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
Decluttering your own home might not be motivating on its own, but supporting charitable organizations, reducing landfill waste, and helping others find affordable essentials through donating to thrift stores often does the trick.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2025
China, consistently cited by Wednesday’s speakers as a threat and a motivating factor behind the interest in defense tech, is a distant second at 12%, though Beijing still spends more on defense than most other countries.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
Schniepp also saw lower rates of inflation as well as interest rates, which should boost California’s economy by motivating consumers and helping promote activity in housing, vehicles and commercial real estate.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Many of these leaders have never been equipped with the right tools and expertise to build a psychologically safe and motivating culture where different perspectives and backgrounds can create synergy.
—Csaba Toth, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
For some, of course, the practical benefits are still motivating.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2025
Gen Z's 'treat yourself' mentality For some, money stress isn’t motivating.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
When employees receive recognition, dopamine reinforces the connection between their efforts and positive feedback, motivating continued high performance.
—Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivating
Adjective
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When to go foam-at-the-mouth intense and when to tug on heartstrings with one of her motivational speeches.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
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The pair first met during a brief encounter at an awards show in 2012, but didn’t become acquainted until 2019 after the were both booked as speakers at an event in Florida organized by motivational speaker Tony Robbins.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The immediacy and interactivity of social media platforms amplified the outrage, encouraging group mobilization.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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By encouraging curiosity, leaders and employees can move beyond surface-level use and unlock the full potential of the tools around them.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The storm reshaped the coastline, forcing a rushed build and rebuild of the course.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Wildfires destroyed 12,000 structures around Altadena and Pacific Palisades – cutting housing supply and forcing victims to seek new living arrangements.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Pink Light takes the inspiring sports drama genre, where athletes have to overcome obstacles in their sport and personal lives, in a new direction as Browne tackles the worsening debate around trans athletes in the media and political spaces.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cola's inspiring story touched thousands of hearts and, ultimately, led to her adoption.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Because while the perks of his elevated status are enticing, maintaining his dominance is as difficult as establishing it.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Nutrients from the Orinoco Delta make the waters particularly enticing to marine life and also help the island’s barrel sponges grow especially huge.—
Terry Ward,
AFAR Media,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For many owners, the nightly ritual of persuading a pet to leave the bed is an ongoing negotiation—one that frequently ends with the animal winning.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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The network seemed to have trouble persuading actual stars to perform.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Integrating dogs into the workplace can reduce the stress of worrying about them all day, and also potentially save employees money in monitoring cameras and stimulating activities when left home alone.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Ketamine works by stimulating the brain’s resilience mechanisms, according to Krystal.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivating. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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