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Synonyms

inspire

American

[in-spahyuhr] / ɪnˈspaɪər /

verb (used with object)

to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence.

His courage inspired his followers.
to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.).

to inspire confidence in others.
to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc..

to inspire a person with distrust.
to influence or impel.

Competition inspired her to greater efforts.
to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like, does.

They were inspired by a belief in a better future.
to communicate or suggest by a divine or supernatural influence.

writings inspired by God.
to guide or control by divine influence.
to prompt or instigate (utterances, acts, etc.) by influence, without avowal of responsibility.
to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc..

a philosophy that inspired a revolution.
to take (air, gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale.
Archaic.
1. to infuse (breath, life, etc.) by breathing (usually followed byinto ).
2. to breathe into or upon.

verb (used without object)

to give inspiration.
to inhale.

inspire British

/ ɪnˈspaɪə /

verb

to exert a stimulating or beneficial effect upon (a person); animate or invigorate
(tr; foll by with or to; may take an infinitive) to arouse (with a particular emotion or to a particular action); stir
(tr) to prompt or instigate; give rise to

her beauty inspired his love
(tr; often passive) to guide or arouse by divine influence or inspiration
to take or draw (air, gas, etc) into the lungs; inhale
archaic (tr)
1. to breathe into or upon
2. to breathe life into

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of inspire

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English inspiren, from Latin inspīrāre “to breathe upon, breathe into,” equivalent to in- in- ² ( def. ) + spīrāre “to breathe”

Explanation

The Olympics often inspire people to take up a sport, but they can also inspire patriotism. Inspire means to excite, encourage, or breathe life into. Inspire comes from the Latin word that means to inflame or to blow in to. When you inspire something, it is as if you are blowing air over a low flame to make it grow. A film can be inspired by a true story. Studying for your test will inspire confidence in you. Successful people often have a role model who inspired them to greatness. Who inspires you?

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

inspire inspires inspired inspiring

Lamarco told MarketWatch that the previous media reporting helped inspire him to dig deeper.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

Pandas are "animals that have got a unique ability to inspire curiosity, instill passion, evoke joy, and unite people around the globe," CEO Raymond King told onlookers at Zoo Atlanta.

From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2026

While the damage is limited by state lines, their victories will inspire copycats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

“Walter helped inspire audiences with his optimism, humor, and adventurous spirit,” the representative said in the statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

I could use my personal experiences as an athlete to train and inspire this younger generation, truly making a difference in their lives, including in the life of my sister Faizah.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Nothing about your letter inspires confidence in your father-in-law’s confusing and, frankly, murky situation.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

A major surgery inspires a mother-son adventure through Iceland’s remote Westfjords, where winding roads, thundering waterfalls and uneven hiking trails offer both travelers a test.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

In the joke that inspires the special’s title, she measures an Instagram comment’s subzero value in a wide scope, lampooning the communal yet cartoonish nature of our endless scroll.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

Instead, it tilts into becoming a caper flick as Seyfried’s commitment to understanding her character’s motivation inspires the actor to invite herself along.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

The upcoming journey inspires them to try to come up with a good name for Gogol, so they can submit his passport application.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Inspired by their trips abroad, the couple went to lengths to design “the whole house with feng shui in mind,” a practice inspired by his mother, “who’s done it for 30 years.”

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

The prosecution office spokesman said Monday that investigators "do not have findings that we could, in a responsible way, categorically state that he was inspired by any particular ideology".

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

Potential applications include ultrafast photonic devices, specialized computing accelerators inspired by the way biological brains process information, and advanced optical sensors.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026

The BBC said at the time that Don had "inspired and guided millions of viewers with his warmth, wisdom and passion for gardening" since joining the programme in 2003.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

“I might be the only Pakistani woman you’ve ever heard of before, but there are so many other women from my country who are just as important to know about too...like someone who inspired me.”

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

The AI boom is minting fortunes, cracking humanity’s hardest math problems and inspiring soaring rhetoric about lifesaving treatments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

"We appreciate the affection, concern and expressions of support that his loss is inspiring, and we are deeply grateful to you all."

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

"There are definitely elements of his story that are very unique to him, and that make it even more inspiring."

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

As California’s Latino population grew and their political power eventually did too, the days when such a victory would have been an inspiring surprise are long gone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

The chance to try to lower those walls, to get more students involved with the city and more city residents with the university, was one I found inspiring.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023