- a variation of instill.
instil
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to introduce gradually; implant or infuse
-
rare to pour in or inject in drops
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of instil
C16: from Latin instillāre to pour in a drop at a time, from stillāre to drip
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:
"It's not something that we need to keep pushing to instil in people's minds," a Reform UK source adds.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
However, amid the spate of high-profile doping cases involving Kenyan athletes, including women's marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich, he has also had an awareness for the need to instil confidence in these performances.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
"These are symbolic gestures of intimidation intended to instil fear, but they are not effective."
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
A few weeks into the course, the new entrants bent their hands, legs and bodies as trainer Hang Sophea sought to instil the basics.
From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025
And this curiosity about music is something the Classical-era Greeks wanted to instil in younger generations.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
The airstrikes have instilled deep fear in Ecuadoran fishermen.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Tan has also made sweeping changes to management and priorities, many of which have boosted morale and instilled more confidence in customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Armed with tennis magazines but no formal training, her grandfather instilled a grueling “tough love” grit in Eala and her older brother, who played college tennis at Penn State.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
He led them to fourth place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and has instilled discipline and tactical nous.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
My father’s teaching had been instilled inside me: “You are no better than anyone else, but nobody else is better than you.”
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Carlos Beltrán credits his father with instilling his work ethic by winning “perfect attendance” certificates every year for 35 years at his company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
De la Fuente's success with Spain is the product of decades of work within the Spanish federation, and of his own role as a coach in that system since 2013, shaping players and instilling values.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
The idea is that prevention is better than a cure when it comes to instilling financial responsibility in young people.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
Attenborough's programmes succeeded in instilling in the public an unparallelled passion and wonder for the natural world, said Gouyon.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
I had so much—an education, a healthy sense of self, a deep arsenal of ambition—and I was wise enough to credit my mother, in particular, with instilling it in me.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
