Skip to main content

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/

Korean meaning: 자극하다, 격려하다, 박차를 가하다

Korean pronunciation: **스**퍼

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

spur concept
💡 Concept

A coach spurs the nervous runner into action before the race

spur rhyme
🎵 Rhyme

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

🎤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'.

🎵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

Want to master 19,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.