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inspire

verb

in·​spire in-ˈspī(-ə)r How to pronounce inspire (audio)
inspired; inspiring

transitive verb

1
a
: to spur on : impel, motivate
threats don't necessarily inspire people to work
b
: to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on
was particularly inspired by the Romanticists
c
: affect
seeing the old room again inspired him with nostalgia
d
: to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration
2
a
: bring about, occasion
the book was inspired by his travels in the Far East
b
: incite
3
a
: to draw forth or bring out
thoughts inspired by a visit to the cathedral
b
: to communicate to an agent supernaturally
4
: inhale sense 1
5
: to spread (rumor) by indirect means or through the agency of another
6
a
archaic : to breathe or blow into or upon
b
archaic : to infuse (something, such as life) by breathing
… inspired into him an active soul … Wisdom of Solomon 15:11

intransitive verb

: inhale
inspirer noun

Did you know?

More on the Meaning of Inspire

When inspire first came into use in the 14th century it had a meaning it still carries in English today: “to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural influence or action.” It’s this use that we see in phrases like “scripture inspired by God,” where the idea is that God shaped the scripture in an active and explicit way.

The meaning is a metaphorical extension of the word's Latin root: inspirare means "to breathe or blow into." The metaphor is a powerful one, with the very breath of a divine or supernatural force asserted as being at work.

The metaphor developed further, with inspire gaining similar but somewhat weaker meanings. Someone who is inspired by a particular artist, for example, is influenced by that artist in a way that animates or intensifies their own work. Something that inspires people to action motivates them. And if we say that something has inspired an emotion, thought, or idea, we are saying that it somehow had a part in its coming to be.

The word inspire has also drawn on the meaning of its literal root over the years, with meanings like "inhale," "to breathe or blow into or upon," and "to infuse (something, such as life) by breathing," but these meanings are not commonly encountered in modern use.

Synonyms

Example Sentences

He inspired generations of future scientists. Her courage has inspired us. His discoveries inspired a whole new line of scientific research. Her first novel was inspired by her early childhood. The news inspired hope that the war might end soon.
Recent Examples on the Web Greeting her at the outset of the call might inspire her to move along. Amy Dickinson, oregonlive, 18 Sep. 2022 Greeting her at the outset of the call might inspire her to move along. Amy Dickinson, cleveland, 18 Sep. 2022 Greeting her at the outset of the call might inspire her to move along. Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2022 Greeting her at the outset of the call might inspire her to move along. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2022 Greeting her at the outset of the call might inspire her to move along. Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 18 Sep. 2022 This song, from Justin Bieber's first Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe (2011), will inspire you to get up and dance. Yaa Bofah, Good Housekeeping, 16 Sep. 2022 With a ghostly robe and glowing lantern, this 7-foot-tall phantom will inspire fear in the bravest of souls. Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 15 Sep. 2022 Cobb did not disagree; clearly, my wobbly performance did not inspire confidence. WIRED, 14 Sep. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French inspirer, from Latin inspirare, from in- + spirare to breathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1d

Time Traveler
The first known use of inspire was in the 14th century

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