Synonyms for spur
- activation
- actuation
- catalyst
- excitant
- goad
- goose
- impetus
- impulse
- incentive
- incitation
- inducement
- motivation
- motive
- needle
- prick
- stimulant
- trigger
- turn-on
- urge
Antonyms for spur
EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR SPUR
How can you think of such funny things on the spur of the moment?
You gents feed your hosses the spur and leave the thinkin' to me.
Yet what can I say, for all men know that your valor needs the curb and not the spur.
He struck the rivet such a blow that he snapped one shank of his spur short off.
David Macy's house stood on the spur of a breezy upland at the end of a road.
Now, then, spur forward, if thou art eager to see thy Leila.
She walked a hundred yards or so towards the village on the spur of this thought.
We scorned to be out-galloped by a Highlandman, so off we started, whip and spur.
Does he know how to spur up his virtue, and put a check-rein on his pride?
In the right place, it should spur him on to a second attempt to get into college.
WORD ORIGIN
Old English spura, spora (related to spurnan "to kick," see spurn), from Proto-Germanic *spuron (cf. Old Norse spori, Middle Dutch spore, Dutch spoor, Old High German sporo, German Sporn "spur"), from PIE *spere- "ankle" (see spurn).
Generalized sense of "anything that urges on, stimulus," is from late 14c. Meaning "a ridge projecting off a mountain mass" is recorded from 1650s. "Widely extended senses ... are characteristic of a horsey race." [Weekley] Expression on the spur of the moment (1801) preserves archaic phrase on the spur "in great haste" (1520s). To win one's spurs is to gain knighthood by some valorous act, gilded spurs being the distinctive mark of a knight.