Topic Thesaurus
Roget's Thesaurus

Motive

Nouns
  • motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action. reason, ground, call, principle
  • by end, by purpose
  • mainspring, keystone
  • the why and the wherefore
  • pro and con, reason why
  • secret motive
  • intention etc. Intention. inducement, consideration
  • attraction
  • loadstone
  • magnet, magnetism, magnetic force
  • allectation, allective
  • temptation, enticement, agacerie, allurement, witchery
  • bewitchment, bewitchery
  • charm
  • spell etc. Spell
  • fascination, blandishment, cajolery
  • seduction, seducement
  • honeyed words, voice of the tempter, song of the Sirens forbidden fruit, golden apple. persuasibility, persuasibleness
  • attractability
  • impressibility, susceptibility
  • softness
  • persuasiveness, attractiveness
  • tantalization. influence, prompting, dictate, instance
  • impulse, impulsion
  • incitement, incitation
  • press, instigation
  • provocation etc. (excitation of feeling) Excitation
  • inspiration
  • persuasion, suasion
  • encouragement, advocacy
  • exhortation
  • advice etc. Advice
  • solicitation etc. (request) Request
  • lobbyism
  • pull [Slang]. incentive, stimulus, spur, fillip, whip, goad, ankus, rowel, provocative, whet, dram. bribe, lure
  • decoy, decoy duck
  • bait, trail of a red herring
  • bribery and corruption
  • sop, sop for Cerberus. prompter, tempter
  • seducer, seductor
  • instigator, firebrand, incendiary
  • Siren, Circe
  • agent provocateur
  • lobbyist.
Verbs
  • induce, move
  • draw, draw on
  • bring in its train, give an impulse etc. n.
  • to
  • inspire
  • put up to, prompt, call up
  • attract, beckon. stimulate etc. (excite) Excitation
  • spirit up, inspirit
  • rouse, arouse
  • animate, incite, foment, provoke, instigate, set on, actuate
  • act upon, work upon, operate upon
  • encourage
  • pat on the back, pat on the shoulder, clap on the back, clap on the shoulder. influence, weigh with, bias, sway, incline, dispose, predispose, turn the scale, inoculate
  • lead by the nose
  • have influence with, have influence over, have influence upon, exercise influence with, exercise influence over, exercise influence upon
  • go round, come round one
  • turn the head, magnetize
  • lobby. persuade
  • prevail with, prevail upon
  • overcome, carry
  • bring round to one's senses, bring to one's senses
  • draw over, win over, gain over, come over, talk over
  • procure, enlist, engage
  • invite, court. tempt, seduce, overpersuade, entice, allure, captivate, fascinate, bewitch, carry away, charm, conciliate, wheedle, coax, lure
  • inveigle
  • tantalize
  • cajole etc. (deceive) Deception. tamper with, bribe, suborn, grease the palm, bait with a silver hook, gild the pill, make things pleasant, put a sop into the pan, throw a sop to, bait the hook. enforce, force
  • impel etc. (push) Impulse
  • propel etc. [Motion given to an object situated in front.] Propulsion
  • whip, lash, goad, spur, prick, urge
  • egg on, hound, hurry on
  • drag etc. [Motion given to an object situated behind.] Traction
  • exhort
  • advise etc. Advice
  • call upon etc.
  • press etc. (request) Request
  • advocate. set an example, set the fashion
  • keep in countenance. be persuaded etc.
  • yield to temptation, come round
  • concede etc. (consent) Consent
  • obey a call
  • follow advice, follow the bent, follow the dictates of
  • act on principle.
Adjectives
Adverbs
  • because, therefore etc. (cause) [Assignment of cause] Attribution
  • from this motive, from that motive
  • for this reason, for that reason
  • for
  • by reason of, for the sake of, count of
  • out of, from, as, forasmuch as. for all the world
  • on principle.
Phrases
  • temptation hath a music for all ears" [Willis]
  • to beguile many and be beguiled by one" [Othello].