inject
verb (used with object)
to force (a fluid) into a passage, cavity, or tissue.
inject
1 American
[in-jekt]
/ ɪnˈdʒɛkt /
verb (used with object)
-
injects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
injected,
past participle, past
-
injecting
present participle
-
to force (a fluid) into a passage, cavity, or tissue.
to inject a medicine into the veins.
-
to introduce (something new or different).
to inject humor into a situation.
-
to introduce arbitrarily or inappropriately; intrude.
-
to interject (a remark, suggestion, etc.), as into conversation.
inject.
2
American
abbreviation
inject
British
/ ɪnˈdʒɛkt /
verb
-
med to introduce (a fluid) into (the body of a person or animal) by means of a syringe or similar instrument
-
(foll by into) to introduce (a new aspect or element)
to inject humour into a scene
-
to interject (a comment, idea, etc)
-
to place (a rocket, satellite, etc) in orbit
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
injectsimple
-
injectssimple
-
have injectedperfect
-
has injectedperfect
-
am injectingprogressive
-
are injectingprogressive
-
is injectingprogressive
-
have been injectingperfect progressive
-
has been injectingperfect progressive
Past
-
injectedsimple
-
had injectedperfect
-
was injectingprogressive
-
were injectingprogressive
-
had been injectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inject1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin injectus, past participle of in(j)icere “to throw in,” equivalent to in- “in” + -jec- (combining form of jac- “to throw”) + -tus past participle suffix; see in- 2
Origin of inject.2
From the Latin word injectiō
Explanation
To inject is to give an injection, or a shot. When your doctor tells you that you need a flu shot, she wants to inject you with a vaccine that will help keep you from getting sick. You are most likely to hear the verb inject at the doctor's office. Veterinarians inject dogs each year with rabies vaccines, and sometimes if you're sick enough, a doctor or nurse might need to inject you with antibiotics. You can use inject in a figurative way, too: "I'd like to inject a new topic into this conversation, it's getting so boring." The Latin root is inicere, "to throw in" or "to throw on."
Vocabulary lists containing inject
Vocabulary from the Poem “Touchscreen” by Marshall Davis Jones
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Latin Love, Vol II: iacere
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The Night Diary
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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:
Guard Collin Sexton and Kessler connected on back-to-back alley-oops during the second quarter to inject life into a shorthanded second unit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
His lawyers had argued that because Texas planned to inject Howard with the same drug - pentobarbital - that was used on Pike, he faced the same risks.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Tishman Speyer, a commercial landlord, said it and other investors will inject $235 million into the property to refurbish its aging interior and exterior.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Tata Sons is categorized as an investment firm because it holds stakes in Tata subsidiaries and can inject capital into them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Jessie inched down the stairs, glancing around as if waiting for something with venomous tentacles to drop on her head and inject poison into her bloodstream.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Die hard: The film’s writer-director Tom McLoughlin injects a bit of meta humor into the proceedings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
This is a secondary combustion system that injects raw fuel directly into a jet engine's exhaust stream behind the turbine, which gives the jet a big short-term boost in thrust.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
“Slower model development injects uncertainty, but we are skeptical it reduces total demand over time,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Even the drama she injects into the chorus feels restrained, as that “wiry” voice slips and slides around notes, like icy wind through the walls of a mountain cabin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
What she injects into the role is tart, pungent humor.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
More than once, Firefly mysteriously injected text or captions into images.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2026
He drained a three-pointer at the buzzer that injected life into the antsy home crowd.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
"There is just an enormous amount of spending getting injected into the system," said Melissa Otto, head of Visible Alpha Research at S&P Global.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Pike is the only inmate to ever survive after being injected with lethal doses of execution drugs, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
Alex stayed right by Rex’s side through the whole exam, holding him while the vet irrigated the wound and stroking his paw when the doctor injected the cut with anesthetic.
From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers
Both have earned fandoms by injecting levity into managing each election’s data flood.
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2026
Willis and Widdicombe have been paired on the live shows, where he is tasked with injecting humour into the moments before and after each dance - with mixed results, say critics.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
Existing scorpion antivenoms are produced by injecting horses with venom and harvesting their plasma antibodies, making them expensive to produce, variable and effective only against specific species.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
The complaint also accuses Peters of injecting Mendoza “multiple times” with a “fat-dissolving” drug during a November livestream.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
And in the basement is a sink and instruments for embalming and for injecting.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
