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.
Held in the grounds of Royal Hospital Chelsea, this year's event features cutting-edge garden design, large-scale floral displays and innovative planting schemes inspired by sustainability, wellbeing and climate resilience.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
“Queer Roast” was inspired by advice Stier received from Zach Zimmerman, a gay comedian he looked up to.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
This has inspired Wall Street analysts to dramatically increase their earnings forecasts for 2026 and beyond, although the improving outlook has largely been driven by a handful of companies, primarily semiconductor and energy names.
From MarketWatch • May 17, 2026
Christianity inspired the design of many garments, and later, Christian figures began to appear on designer garments.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
“We are inspired by your success!” one girl enthused.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
