🚗 Controlling a vehicle 🏌️ Hitting in golf 💪 Powerful or motivating

driving

1 4.7

Having strong energy or motivation that makes people act

adjective
/ˈdraɪvɪŋ/

: impulsor

He was the driving force behind the campaign for environmental awareness.

But the point is, you should not be the driving force, all right?

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Examples

That's really what's driving each of these pathways.
That's the question driving this piece forward.
Her passion for science was the driving motivation behind her research.
The driving energy of the team's enthusiasm helped them win the competition.

Synonyms

propelling

vsdriving

3.6

Causing something to move forward

is about strong energy or motivation powering an action not literal movement

Antonyms

unmotivated

8 4.4

Not feeling interest or energy to do something

Compounds

driving force

39 4.1

A force that makes something move forward

reckless driving

Formal

12 3.2

Driving a vehicle without caring about people's safety or property

driving range

7 3.0

A place where golfers practice hitting balls to marked distances

driving license

Formal

5 1.5

An official document that lets a person drive a car on public roads

driving school

5 1.6

A place that teaches people how to drive cars

driving range

Specialized

1 3.9

The maximum distance a vehicle can travel on a full tank or full charge under normal conditions

driving belt

Specialized

1 3.5

A belt that moves power from a motor to other machine parts

driving iron

Jargon

1 8.2

A long golf club with an almost straight face used to hit the ball far from the tee or fairway

driving wheel

Specialized

3.7

A wheel on a vehicle that gets power from the engine and moves the vehicle

driving axle

Specialized

5.7

A part that takes engine power and turns the wheels

driving beam headlamp

6.8

A bright car light that shines straight ahead and should only be used when no other cars are near

How Forceful

irresistible

88 3.8

compelling

298 5.1

driving

1 4.7

influential

189 4.6

motivating

3.7

Surface Forms

driving positive

Morphology

driving = drive (semi-transparent) = drive + ing

Formed as a participial adjective from 'drive' but used metaphorically ('driving ambition' = forceful or motivating), so the link to the base is clear but figurative.

Etymology

Driving as an adjective comes from the same root drive meaning 'to push', so it describes strong force or energy that 'pushes' people or actions forward.