instill

American  

[in-stil] / ɪnˈstɪl /

especially British, instil

verb (used with object)

instilled, instilling

1. to infuse slowly or gradually into the mind or feelings; insinuate; inject.

   to instill courtesy in a child.

   Synonyms:

   introduce, inculcate

2. to put in drop by drop.

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Other Word Forms

• instiller
  noun
• instillment
  noun
• preinstill
  verb (used with object)

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Etymology

Origin of instill

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin instillāre, equivalent to in- in- ² + stillāre “to drip”; see distill

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Explanation

Parents work hard to develop, or instill, positive beliefs and values in their children. Interestingly, there's no corresponding word for when parents pass down their bad habits. Instill comes from the Latin verb stillare, meaning "to drip." For some people, this word provides an apt metaphor for the way that parents and teachers cultivate understanding in young learners, patiently introducing wisdom "drop by drop." (Of course, for others, instill conjures up the image of a persistently dripping faucet that just won't be quiet.)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

instill instilled instilling

“We pay a lot of attention to FCF, and the market may be trying to instill some spending discipline into these companies,” Halter said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Our family is fortunate to have the option to spend on these small treats, and we try to instill a sense of gratitude.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

To make up for this, Gray’s team tried to enlist several leading academic historians to instill more of an overarching narrative structure.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026

Helping him learn healthy money habits could instill a sense of confidence and competence that he might not gain from simply having money handed to him.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

The more intriguing aspect of children’s play is that it naturally incorporates the integration and multimodality that we attempt to instill during education such as dance, drama, and music.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Those experiences shaped their leadership but ultimately instilled an intensely personal approach to building Goruck that’s rooted in a special forces ethos of putting team first.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Before his 2011 death, Shockley instilled a philosophical hunger and love of language in his grandson — who later put a photo of the two of them on the cover of 2023’s “Ways of Knowing.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

The airstrikes have instilled deep fear in Ecuadoran fishermen.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

But they are very much in keeping with the values which Painter and Meadows have instilled in a group that continue to hit spectacular heights.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

My parents had instilled in me a strong work ethic and a nothing-but-the-best mentality.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

And though she has never taken formal acting classes, Navarrette credits her seventh-grade English teacher, Ms. Patton, for instilling in her to “feel her feet.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 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

In the vast majority of cases, he said, instilling trust in customers is now more important than being able to show off technical genius.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 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

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

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Related Words

• diffuse
• disseminate
• engender
• imbue
• impart
• inculcate
• inject
• inspire

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