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spurto encourage someone or urge them to take action

Part of speech: VERB

Definition: to encourage someone or urge them to take action

Pronunciation (IPA): /spɜːr/

Example Sentences

  • The smell of pizza spurred my lazy roommate to finally leave his room.
  • Competition from other companies spurred them to develop better products.
  • She bought those expensive shoes on the spur of the moment and regretted it immediately.

spur

VERB

[/spɜːr/]

to encourage someone or urge them to take action

The coach's fiery speech spurred the tired team into a final sprint.
💡 Concept

The coach's fiery speech spurred the tired team into a final sprint.

Her touch on soft fur made him purr, then spur into action!
🎵 Rhyme

Her touch on soft fur made him purr, then spur into action!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/spɜːr/
🇬🇧 UK/spɜː(r)/

🌳Etymology

Rootspur

Origin

From Old English 'spura' and Old Norse 'spori', both meaning a device worn on a rider's heel. Related to Proto-Germanic '*spuron', ultimately from an Indo-European root meaning 'to kick' or 'to spring'.

Breakdown

spur (noun/verb) - a single morpheme with no productive internal structure in modern English, though historically derived from Proto-Germanic '*spuron' meaning 'to kick or thrust'

🎵Rhyme

curfurherpurrstir
cur
fur
her
purr
stir

🔗Collocations

spur on
spur growth
on the spur of the moment
economic spur
spur innovation

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

The smell of pizza spurred my lazy roommate to finally leave his room.

Competition from other companies spurred them to develop better products.

😄 Fun example

She bought those expensive shoes on the spur of the moment and regretted it immediately.

The government's tax cuts were designed to spur economic recovery.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

encouragestimulatemotivatepromptincite

Antonyms

discouragedeterinhibit

Related

stimulusincentivecatalystgoadprovoke

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