motivate
gb/mˈoʊtəvˌeɪt/ us/mˈoʊtəvˌeɪt/
B1
English
~ 3300
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Encourage someone to take action
To give someone a reason or feeling that makes them want to do something.
Usage pattern:
to motivate [someone] to [do something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'motivate' with 'move', but 'move' usually means to change position physically, not to inspire action.
Synonyms
encourage (Suggests giving support or confidence rather than directly inspiring action.)
|
inspire (Implies creating strong positive feelings that lead to action, sometimes more emotional than 'motivate'.)
Antonyms
discourage (Means to make someone less willing or confident to do something.)
Collocations
motivate employees
|motivate students
|motivate people
|highly motivated
|motivate yourself
Themes
emotions
|work
|education
|self-improvement
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The coach tried to motivate the team before the big game.
- Her speech motivated many people to volunteer for the project.
- Money alone doesn't always motivate employees.
Learner examples
- My teacher motivates me to study.
- The music motivated him to dance.
- She motivates her friends to try new things.
Verb
B2
relation
2
Be the reason for an action
To be the cause of why someone does something.
Usage pattern:
[something] motivates [someone/something] to [do something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'influence', but 'influence' can be weaker and not the main reason for action.
Synonyms
drive (Can imply a stronger, more internal force behind an action.)
Antonyms
deter (Means to stop or prevent someone from acting by making them unwilling.)
Collocations
motivate behavior
|motivate a decision
|motivate actions
Themes
psychology
|behavior
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A desire for justice motivated him to become a lawyer.
- Fear of failure can sometimes motivate people to work harder.
- Her curiosity motivated her research.
Learner examples
- Money motivated him to work long hours.
- Fear motivated her to run away.
- Love motivated them to help each other.
Grammar
Dictionary form
motivate
IPA
GB/mˈoʊtəvˌeɪt/
US/mˈoʊtəvˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
mo - tiv - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mo)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: motivate
- 3rd Person Singular: motivates
- Present Participle: motivating
- Past: motivated
Word family
Forms
motivates
verb
motivating
verb
motivated
verb
Core family
motivation
noun B1
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
unmotivated
adjective
demotivate
verb
demotivated
adjective
Expressions
highly motivated
1/hˈaɪli mˈoʊtəvˌeɪtɪd/
fixed phrase
Very eager to succeed or achieve goals
Having a very strong reason or wish to do something well or reach a goal.
Examples
- She is highly motivated to finish her degree on time.
- The team is highly motivated after last week's win.
motivate someone to do something
1/mˈoʊtəvˌeɪt sˈʌmwˌʌn tə dˈu sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Encourage a person toward an action
To give a person a reason or feeling that makes them want to do something.
Examples
- The teacher motivated the students to read more.
- Her story motivated me to travel abroad.
self-motivated
1/sˈɛlf mˈoʊtəvˌeɪtɪd/
fixed phrase
Able to work without external push
Able to work hard and reach goals without being told what to do by others.
Examples
- You need to be self-motivated to succeed in this job.
- He is self-motivated and always finds new projects.