spur
verb/spɜː(r)/
/spɜːr/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they spur | /spɜː(r)/ /spɜːr/ |
| he / she / it spurs | /spɜːz/ /spɜːrz/ |
| past simple spurred | /spɜːd/ /spɜːrd/ |
| past participle spurred | /spɜːd/ /spɜːrd/ |
| -ing form spurring | /ˈspɜːrɪŋ/ /ˈspɜːrɪŋ/ |
- to encourage somebody to do something or to encourage them to try harder to achieve something
- spur somebody/something (on) to something/to do something Her difficult childhood spurred her on to succeed.
- My trainer spurred me to keep up a pace of four miles an hour.
- spur somebody/something into something I was spurred into action by the letter.
- spur somebody/something (on) The band has been spurred on by the success of their last single.
- spur something to make something happen faster or sooner
- The agreement is essential to spurring economic growth around the world.
- The fire, spurred by high temperatures and strong winds, had burnt more than 140 acres.
- An increase in the country's arsenal could spur an arms race in the region.
- spur something to encourage a horse to go faster, especially by pushing the spurs on your boots into its side
- As he shouted his order he spurred the horse forward suddenly.
Word OriginOld English spora, spura, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch spoor and German Sporn, also to spurn.
Check pronunciation:
spur