inspire
Americanverb (used with object)
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inspires,
present (3rd person singular)
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inspired,
past participle, past
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inspiring
present participle
-
to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence.
His courage inspired his followers.
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to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.).
to inspire confidence in others.
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to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc..
to inspire a person with distrust.
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to influence or impel.
Competition inspired her to greater efforts.
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to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like, does.
They were inspired by a belief in a better future.
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to communicate or suggest by a divine or supernatural influence.
writings inspired by God.
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to guide or control by divine influence.
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to prompt or instigate (utterances, acts, etc.) by influence, without avowal of responsibility.
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to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc..
a philosophy that inspired a revolution.
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to take (air, gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale.
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Archaic.
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to infuse (breath, life, etc.) by breathing (usually followed byinto ).
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to breathe into or upon.
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verb (used without object)
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inspires,
present (3rd person singular)
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inspired,
past participle, past
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inspiring
present participle
-
to give inspiration.
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to inhale.
verb
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to exert a stimulating or beneficial effect upon (a person); animate or invigorate
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(tr; foll by with or to; may take an infinitive) to arouse (with a particular emotion or to a particular action); stir
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(tr) to prompt or instigate; give rise to
her beauty inspired his love
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(tr; often passive) to guide or arouse by divine influence or inspiration
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to take or draw (air, gas, etc) into the lungs; inhale
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archaic (tr)
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to breathe into or upon
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to breathe life into
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inspirernoun
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reinspireverb
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preinspireverb (used with object)
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inspirableadjective
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inspirativeadjective
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pseudoinspiringadjective
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uninspiringadjective
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inspiringlyadverb
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uninspiringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inspiresimple
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inspiressimple
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have inspiredperfect
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has inspiredperfect
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am inspiringprogressive
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are inspiringprogressive
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is inspiringprogressive
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have been inspiringperfect progressive
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has been inspiringperfect progressive
Past
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inspiredsimple
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had inspiredperfect
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was inspiringprogressive
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were inspiringprogressive
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had been inspiringperfect progressive
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?
Vocabulary lists containing inspire
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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:
Customers—and their children—bond with the cats, who become beloved fixtures in the stores and inspire people to keep coming back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Meanwhile, a growing number of more speculative products have helped to inspire a flurry of new ETF launches.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026
That unusual scene helped inspire the scientific name.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Gehry set out to create an immersive hall that would inspire artists and envelop the audience, said Meaghan Lloyd, his chief of staff and right-hand at his firm, Gehry Partners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
“I’m not going to eat you,” she added, though saying it aloud, she suspected, didn’t do much to inspire confidence.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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
Is it any wonder that a city that favors make-believe would take to a holiday that inspires elaborate set dressings and creative costumes, the latter a chance to take on a role other than ourselves?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
I also suspect that, to whatever extent Bill Pay actually inspires more Bill Pay usage, they’re correct about that.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
The agreement inspires "very little confidence" as recent incidents of AI going rogue suggest companies have been undisciplined in their approach, she added.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
A few people start grooving on the makeshift dance floor, which inspires Angela and Hilda to leave the bar area.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
While none of the movie’s fight sequences are especially inspired, there are many of them and they go on forever.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
They were also inspired to explore a new legal angle: “It felt like other shows weren’t really looking at the way tech was impacting the law,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Some autumnal ale: It can be delightful when craft breweries churn out seasonally inspired flavors, but what happens when we start being served pumpkin beer in August, or Christmas beer before Halloween?
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
He was inspired to do this after his own father-in-law, who had developed Alzheimer's, had to go into a nursing home.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
The horrors of Nazi eugenics inspired a cautionary tale, prompting a global reexamination of the ambitions that had spurred the effort.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
"It's inspiring a lot of new searches on our part," Householder says.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
It is inspiring to imagine the moment an AI lab yields up treatments that will defeat pediatric cancer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Its mission, said former assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Remington Kellogg that year, was to “awaken” a “clear understanding of the inspiring story of the United States — its origins, struggles, development, traditions, strength.”
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
His passion for fostering the community was inspiring and sticks with me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
At USD, Lawrence encountered his first truly inspiring teacher.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
