- 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:
"If they're hungry, they'll eat. I don't force them to because I think that can instil pressure," says Doone, from London.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
"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
"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
That definitely instilled in him this fear of confrontation, fear of any kind of high emotions.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
"They pursued their education, they built careers, they created lives that reflected the values their parents instilled in them."
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
“It’s been instilled in me since I was young that it’s important for not only yourself to thrive, but your community to thrive,” Klugo said, sitting in his family’s house in the San Fernando Valley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Rothschild’s mother, Betty, had instilled in her son knowledge of and devotion to the Jewish faith.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Patience with the ways of nature had been instilled in her by her father.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
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
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
Experts call this a type of fraud "social engineering" - where scammers dupe their victims using psychological manipulation, instilling fear and urgency.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
Far from instilling resentment, Martin told her, the patrollers’ diligence was a point of pride from county to county.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
