Motivated — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-təd/ mo·ti·vat·ed

Meaning & Definition of Motivated

Motivated (adjective)

  1. provided with a motive, having an incentive or a strong desire to do well or succeed in some pursuit

Motivated (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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."

    similar: determined, diligent, driving, dynamic, enterprising, gung ho, hungry, hustling, industrious, venturesome, venturous, animated, lively, spirited, ardent, avid, eager, energetic, impassioned, keen, raring, vigorous, aggressive, assertive, high-flying, opportunistic, overambitious, pretentious, pushy, self-assertive, competing, competitive, rival, rivalrous, ambitious, aspiring, go-getting, hard-driving, pushing, self-seeking
    opposite: apathetic, disinterested, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic, unexcited, uninterested, casual, easygoing, lackadaisical, lazyish, halfhearted, lukewarm, tepid, lazy, lethargic, listless, shiftless, sluggish, spiritless, unaggressive, unassertive, ambitionless, unambitious

Motivated (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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."

    similar: aroused, encouraged, excited, fired (up), impassioned, incited, instigated, moved, piqued, provoked, revved (up), sparked, spurred, stimulated, stirred, activated, animated, drove, energized, galvanized, induced, inspired, keyed (up), motived, propelled, pumped up, quickened, set off, vitalized, forced, impelled, allured, baited, beguiled, bribed, enticed, led on, lured, seduced, tempted, goaded, persuaded, fanned, ignited, inflamed, kindled, triggered, abetted, fermented, fomented, raised, whipped (up), aggravated, annoyed, bothered, exasperated, galled, got, irritated, vexed, angered, enraged, maddened, upset
    opposite: calmed, soothed, subdued, tranquilized, appeased, mollified, pacified, placated

Related Entry: Motivate (verb)

Motivate is a different word from Motivated. The synonyms below are for motivate, not for motivated.

  1. 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."

    similar: arouse, encourage, excite, fire (up), impassion, incite, instigate, move, pique, provoke, rev (up), spark, spur, stimulate, stir, activate, animate, drive, energize, galvanize, induce, inspire, key (up), motive, propel, pump up, quicken, set off, vitalize, impel, force, allure, bait, beguile, bribe, entice, lead on, lure, seduce, tempt, goad, persuade, fan, ignite, inflame, kindle, trigger, abet, ferment, foment, raise, whip (up), aggravate, annoy, bother, exasperate, gall, get, irritate, vex, anger, enrage, madden, upset
    opposite: calm, soothe, subdue, tranquilize, appease, mollify, pacify, placate

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Motivated

The most common words with a similar meaning to Motivated:

determined, diligent, driving, dynamic, enterprising, gung ho, hungry, hustling, industrious, venturesome, venturous, animated, lively, spirited, ardent, avid, eager, energetic, impassioned, keen, raring, vigorous, aggressive, assertive, high-flying, opportunistic, overambitious, pretentious, pushy, self-assertive, competing, competitive, rival, rivalrous, ambitious, aspiring, go-getting, hard-driving, pushing, self-seeking

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Motivated

Words with the opposite meaning of Motivated:

apathetic, disinterested, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic, unexcited, uninterested, casual, easygoing, lackadaisical, lazyish, halfhearted, lukewarm, tepid, lazy, lethargic, listless, shiftless, sluggish, spiritless, unaggressive, unassertive, ambitionless, unambitious, calmed, soothed, subdued, tranquilized, appeased, mollified

Origin & Etymology of Motivated

First known use: 1903

Words & Phrases Containing Motivated

self-motivated

Frequently Asked Questions about Motivated

What does "Motivated" mean?

"Motivated" means provided with a motive, having an incentive or a strong desire to do well or succeed in some pursuit. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: provided with a motive, having an incentive or a strong desire to do well or succeed in some pursuit. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Motivated"?

Other words for "Motivated" include determined, diligent, driving, dynamic, enterprising, gung ho, hungry and hustling. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Motivated" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Motivated"?

There are 102 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Motivated". Common alternatives include determined, diligent, driving, dynamic, enterprising, gung ho, hungry, hustling, industrious and venturesome.

What is the opposite of "Motivated"?

Antonyms of "Motivated" include apathetic, disinterested, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic, unexcited, uninterested and casual.

How do you use "Motivated" in a sentence?

Examples of "Motivated" in a sentence: "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."; "The presence of treats motivated the dogs to obey their owner's commands.".

Is "Motivated" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Motivated" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Motivated"?

"Motivated" is pronounced /ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-təd/ and divided into syllables as mo·ti·vat·ed.

What is the origin of the word "Motivated"?

First known use: 1903.