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unmotivated

unmotivated

8 4.4
Not feeling interest or energy to do something
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnˈmoʊtɪˌveɪtɪd/
translation icon : desmotivado
  • Or maybe you're feeling so unmotivated you just feel unmotivated about life in general.
  • an unmotivated student
  • completely unmotivated
  • remains unmotivated

Okay, so I've been feeling like really unmotivated to do productive things.

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Examples

  • I'm sometimes unmotivated to work out on my own.

  • The child became completely unmotivated to write anything at all.

    Academic text (2012)
  • I feel unmotivated to do a lot of things that people should do.

  • External rewards are important for unmotivated students who lack interest in college.

    Academic text (2014)
  • It's also human nature at times to feel lousy and unmotivated when faced with the reality of the work.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • When not involved, workers feel disenfranchised and unmotivated to promote the organizations or themselves.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Students who do not perform well may be unmotivated, anxious, feeling ill, or believe that performance is unimportant.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Readers without the power to make their own choices are unmotivated to read (Miller, 2009).

    Academic text (2015)
  • Also, it has produced a generation of unmotivated, overweight, inactive, technological couch potatoes.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Many students feel unmotivated when they do not see any progress in their studies.

Synonyms

lazy
vsunmotivated
355 1.0

Not willing to work or make an effort

describes lacking motivation rather than deliberate refusal to work
bored
vsunmotivated
353 1.0

Feeling not interested and tired from doing the same thing too much

is about a general absence of will to act despite circumstance
jaded
vsunmotivated
40 6.3

Feeling bored and tired after doing or seeing something too often

is broader, not tied to loss from repeated exposure
apathetic
vsunmotivated
24 6.8

Not showing much interest or energy

is more about missing energy specifically to take action
uninterested
vsunmotivated
20 3.5

Not wanting to know about or take part in something

focuses more on lacking energy to act rather than mere interest
lethargic
vsunmotivated
15 5.3

Being very tired and slow with little interest or energy

is more about missing will to act rather than physical tiredness
uninspired
vsunmotivated
14 4.0

Not having new or interesting ideas

is about lacking action energy rather than creative spark
aimless
vsunmotivated
13 3.6

Not having a clear goal or plan

is centered on lacking action drive even when goals exist
dispirited
vsunmotivated
5 5.4

Feeling sad and without hope

is mainly about absent drive to act rather than mood alone
lackadaisical
vsunmotivated
5 8.6

Showing little energy or interest and doing things slowly and carelessly

points more to internal lack of action drive than careless style
shiftless
vsunmotivated
  • Offensive
5 8.4

A person who is lazy and unwilling to work or try

focuses specifically on unwillingness to make effort versus low drive
unenthusiastic
vsunmotivated
4 3.9

Not showing much interest or excitement

emphasizes missing action drive in addition to low enthusiasm
passionless
vsunmotivated
3 6.2

Not showing strong feelings or interest

is wider, referring to low action motivation beyond emotional intensity
indolent
vsunmotivated
2 8.0

Not wanting to work or try hard

is about present lack of motivation not necessarily long habit
unenthused
vsunmotivated
  • Informal
1 5.3

Not showing excitement or interest

adds the idea of lacking active motivation to respond or act
ambitionless
vsunmotivated
1 7.3

Not wanting to become more successful or get a promotion

is a broader lack of drive to act or reach goals
unexcited
vsunmotivated
1 3.7

Calm and not showing strong feeling

is about lacking motivation to act rather than being calm
undesirous
vsunmotivated
9.1

Not wanting something or feeling no wish for it

covers a wider absence of drive to act or achieve
undesiring
vsunmotivated
7.7

Not wanting something or feeling no wish for it

applies more broadly to lacking motivation to take action
unstimulated
vsunmotivated
5.4

Not feeling interested or excited to do things

is similar but more generally names absence of action drive
driftless
vsunmotivated
7.9

Not having clear plans or goals

is about missing motivation to act rather than lacking goals only

Antonyms

2.5

Wanting to work hard to reach a goal

3.5

Very motivated to act because of strong inner feelings or outside pressure

How Motivated

driven
3.5
ambitious
128 3.7
motivated
2.5
unmotivated
8 4.4
apathetic
24 6.8

Surface Forms

unmotivated positive

Morphology

unmotivated = motivated (transparent) = un + motivate + ed

Formed by prefixing 'un-' to 'motivated' to indicate lack of motivation; the meaning is directly predictable.

Etymology

Unmotivated is built from un- 'not' and motivate 'to move', like the simple word 'move'. So to be unmotivated is literally 'not moved', meaning you have no inner push or energy to act.