aiguillonner

Aiguillonner means to goad or spur someone into action — from aiguillon, the pointed stick once used to prod oxen. It's a literary-register verb, used for competition, ambition, or curiosity driving someone forward, rather than a term for casual daily encouragement.

• La compétition aiguillonne les chercheurs à publier plus vite. — Competition spurs researchers to publish faster.
• Sa curiosité l'aiguillonnait sans cesse. — His curiosity kept goading him on.
• L'entraîneur aiguillonne son équipe avant le match. — The coach spurs his team on before the match.

Learners confuse aiguillonner with the much more common encourager — aiguillonner implies a sharper, more insistent prodding (like a goad), not gentle encouragement.

Often confused with encourager.