as in diligent
having a strong desire for personal advancement
He was lauded by faculty as an exceptionally hardworking, curious, and motivated student. The company was looking for motivated self-starters to fill the sales position.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in encouraged
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 motivated
Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
Adams has maintained his innocence and argued without evidence that the case was politically motivated because of his criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policy.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025
Jodie Cook, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Portage Police said their initial investigation showed the shooting may have been motivated by romantic rivalry.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Adjective
The union was largely motivated to file the appeal to preserve the integrity of the contract language, Singh said.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
Adams has maintained his innocence and argued without evidence that the case was politically motivated because of his criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policy.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
Their biggest obstacles include [list obstacles] and they're motivated by [describe what drives them].
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Portage Police said their initial investigation showed the shooting may have been motivated by romantic rivalry.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivated
Adjective
-
Beyond analyzing troves of data to sift through requirements even the most diligent person might miss, AI can proactively respond to requests with lightning speed—a superhuman ability that might have saved Josef K from the state.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Toney is already a diligent student of the game.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Before the Democratic National Convention in 1912, McCombs encouraged prominent journalists and editors to write articles supportive of Wilson's nomination.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
-
The party has dismissed the raucous town halls in conservative districts as the work of liberal activist groups, which have encouraged people to flood public forums in an attempt to highlight frustrations with the administration.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This was a fantastic week in Paris — energetic and full of strong debuts.—
Rhonda Richford,
WWD,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Claudine’s vibe is welcoming and the lunch crowd is energetic.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Nick, now focused on his role as the heir to his grandfather’s empire, and Noah, just beginning to build her own career, are determined to keep their distance, despite their undeniable attraction and the past that connects them.—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Is this morally corrupt crowd determined to ignore constitutional obligations rather than ever admit a mistake?—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Our publicist persuaded the New York Times to do an article on the hundredth anniversary of La Bohème and its staying power as reflected by Rent.—
Jeffrey Seller,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Convinced that sunken treasures were hidden beneath what was about to become three high-rise buildings, the amateur river detectives donned hard hats and persuaded a backhoe operator to let them onto the site.—
Kinsey Gidick,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Static metrics in a dynamic world are like old maps for new continents.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
His mother, her mental health, brothers, that family dynamic.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
If Brown is enticed by the chance to see that through, the Chiefs can take advantage and alleviate some of the risk by luring him with some incentives based on playing time.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
7 Mar. 2025
-
With more cap space leaguewide than expected, Zucker may be enticed by the idea of hitting free agency coming off a career year.—
Matthew Fairburn,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In addition, stubbornly high interest rates are prompting institutional investors to offload their holdings in these prime spaces, while luxury companies are eager to take advantage of once-in-a-generation opportunities, and lock in properties for the long term.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The paper gave him space to hone his style and themes, as well as time to find an audience eager for something that was not like anything else.—
Art Spiegelman,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivated. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share