motive

Roget category 615

5. Words relating to the voluntary powers
› 5.1. Volition in general
›› 5.1.2. Causes of volition

#615. Motive

noun

motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action.
reason, ground, call, principle — by end, by purpose — mainspring, primum mobile [Lat.], keystone — the why and the wherefore — pro and con, reason why — secret motive, arriere pensee [Fr.] — intention etc. 620.
inducement, consideration — attraction — loadstone — magnet, magnetism, magnetic force — allectation^†, allective^† — temptation, enticement, agacerie^†, allurement, witchery — bewitchment, bewitchery — charm — spell etc. 993 — 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) 824 — inspiration — persuasion, suasion — encouragement, advocacy — exhortation — advice etc. 695 — solicitation etc. (request) 765 — 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.

verb

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) 824 — 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) 545.
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) 276 — propel etc. 284 — whip, lash, goad, spur, prick, urge — egg on, hound, hurry on — drag etc. 285 — exhort — advise etc. 695 — call upon &c. — press etc. (request) 765 — advocate.
set an example, set the fashion — keep in countenance.
be persuaded &c. — yield to temptation, come round — concede etc. (consent) 762 — obey a call — follow advice, follow the bent, follow the dictates of — act on principle.

adjective

impulsive, motive — suasive, suasory^†, persuasive, persuasory^†, hortative, hortatory — protreptical^† — inviting, tempting, etc. v. — suasive, suasory^† — seductive, attractive — fascinating etc. (pleasing) 829 — provocative etc. (exciting) 824.
induced etc. v. — disposed — persuadable etc. (docile) 602 — spellbound — instinct with, smitten with, infatuated — inspired etc. v. — by.

adverb

because, therefore etc. (cause) 155 — 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.

phrase

fax mentis incendium gloriae [Lat.] — temptation hath a music for all ears" [Willis]; to beguile many and be beguiled by one" [Othello].

The content on this page comes straight from Project Gutenberg Etext of Roget's Thesaurus No. Two, which consists of the acclaimed work by Peter Mark Roget augmented with more recent material. Some changes were made to the formatting for improved readability.

Bold numbers signify related Roget categories. A dagger symbol (†) indicates archaic words and expressions no longer in common use.

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