inspired
Americanadjective
-
aroused, animated, or imbued with the spirit to do something, by or as if by supernatural or divine influence.
an inspired poet.
-
resulting from such inspiration.
an inspired poem;
an inspired plan.
-
inhaled.
inspired air.
adjective
-
aroused or guided by or as if aroused or guided by divine inspiration
an inspired performance
she was like one inspired
-
extremely accurate or apt but based on intuition rather than knowledge or logical deduction
an inspired guess
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inspired
Explanation
Inspired is an adjective that describes something of excellent quality. If your singing in a choral concert is particularly inspired, people can hear your voice hitting all the right notes beautifully. If something is so extraordinary that it's worthy of being described as inspired, you might think that the gods had something to do with its creation. In fact, inspired originally meant "directly inspired by God or gods." It comes from the Latin in-"in" and spirare "to breathe." Maybe such supernatural power did breathe life into something truly excellent. Or maybe the humans just worked very hard and had a great idea.
Vocabulary lists containing inspired
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Hooked on a Feeling, List 3
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This Week in Pop Culture: July 6–July 12, 2019
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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.
Designed to stop school shooters, these drones were inspired by the Ukraine war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard said she was with Pillay when she learned she had won - and called her an "inspired choice" for the award.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Trans*cendent prioritizes queer women DJs who create sets inspired by people on the dance floor instead of just hitting play on pre-created playlists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Speaking over Zoom from New York, dressed in his typical wardrobe of black shirt and black sport jacket, Mungiu is wryly amused when I ask if that Dracula dig was inspired by personal experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
World War I inspired a flood of poems, novels, memoirs, songs, plays, and films that attempted to capture the horrors of modern warfare and the anguish and grief that follow in its wake.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
Definitions 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.
