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:
Gordon: I hope this guy can instil a new style into the team.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
"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
For whatever reason, over the past two years he has been unable to instil enough of that quality.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
"These are symbolic gestures of intimidation intended to instil fear, but they are not effective."
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
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
Ma had instilled in us the importance of education, but I also felt my athletic value would rise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 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
That definitely instilled in him this fear of confrontation, fear of any kind of high emotions.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
Patience with the ways of nature had been instilled in her by her father.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
Her father worked there while pursuing an engineering degree, instilling a work ethic she applied to everything from martial arts to a job taking out the trash at a park.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
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
Not only in picking up 11 points from seven games to preserve the club's top-flight status, but his growing influence is instilling belief in the squad.
From BBC ● May 27, 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.
