Synonyms for spur
- verb
- noun
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Goad — to urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object
goad, stimulate, drive, impel, instigate, incite, urge, encourage, motive, induce, rouse, push, point, stir, hasten, provoke, motivate, impulse, quicken, foment, excite, stir up
Other
Noun
3. Impetus
impetus, stimulus, incentive, stimulant, instigation, inducement, provocation, incitement
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object
- n. 1
A rigid implement, often roughly y-shaped, that is fixed to one's heel for the purpose of prodding a horse. Often worn by, and emblematic of, the cowboy or the knight.
- n. 2
A jab given with the spurs.
- n. 3
Anything that inspires or motivates, as a spur does a horse.
Related words
- Word family
- spurdog spurmaker spur-of-the-moment spurrier spur-wheel
- Phrases
- spur on bone spur knight's spur spur cell spur gear
Example sentences
- incite The speaker tried to incite the people to rebellion.
- instigate Feminists instigate women against men.
- goad The shepherd carried a sharp goad for herding sheep.
By length
- 3 letters
- gad1
- 4 letters
- push1, urge1, stir1, snag1, prod1, goad1
- 5 letters
- point1, drive1, spine1, rouse1, impel2
- 6 letters
- philip2, motive2, induce2, excite2, incite2, hasten2, foment2
- 7 letters
- impulse2, provoke2, impetus3, quicken2, goading2, acantha3
- 8 letters
- mountain2, stimulus3, motivate3, prodding2
- 9 letters
- encourage3, incentive3, stimulate3, stimulant3, instigate3
- 10 letters
- projection3, incitement3, inducement3
- 11 letters
- provocation4, instigation4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (impel2 = 2 syllables).