inspire
Americanverb (used with object)
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inspires,
present (3rd person singular)
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inspired,
past participle, past
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inspiring
present participle
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to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence.
His courage inspired his followers.
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to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.).
to inspire confidence in others.
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to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc..
to inspire a person with distrust.
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to influence or impel.
Competition inspired her to greater efforts.
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to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like, does.
They were inspired by a belief in a better future.
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to communicate or suggest by a divine or supernatural influence.
writings inspired by God.
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to guide or control by divine influence.
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to prompt or instigate (utterances, acts, etc.) by influence, without avowal of responsibility.
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to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc..
a philosophy that inspired a revolution.
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to take (air, gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale.
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Archaic.
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to infuse (breath, life, etc.) by breathing (usually followed byinto ).
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to breathe into or upon.
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verb (used without object)
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inspires,
present (3rd person singular)
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inspired,
past participle, past
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inspiring
present participle
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to give inspiration.
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to inhale.
verb
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to exert a stimulating or beneficial effect upon (a person); animate or invigorate
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(tr; foll by with or to; may take an infinitive) to arouse (with a particular emotion or to a particular action); stir
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(tr) to prompt or instigate; give rise to
her beauty inspired his love
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(tr; often passive) to guide or arouse by divine influence or inspiration
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to take or draw (air, gas, etc) into the lungs; inhale
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archaic (tr)
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to breathe into or upon
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to breathe life into
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inspirernoun
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reinspireverb
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preinspireverb (used with object)
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inspirableadjective
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inspirativeadjective
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pseudoinspiringadjective
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uninspiringadjective
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inspiringlyadverb
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uninspiringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inspiresimple
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inspiressimple
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have inspiredperfect
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has inspiredperfect
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am inspiringprogressive
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are inspiringprogressive
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is inspiringprogressive
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have been inspiringperfect progressive
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has been inspiringperfect progressive
Past
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inspiredsimple
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had inspiredperfect
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was inspiringprogressive
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were inspiringprogressive
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had been inspiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inspire
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English inspiren, from Latin inspīrāre “to breathe upon, breathe into,” equivalent to in- in- 2 ( def. ) + spīrāre “to breathe”
Explanation
The Olympics often inspire people to take up a sport, but they can also inspire patriotism. Inspire means to excite, encourage, or breathe life into. Inspire comes from the Latin word that means to inflame or to blow in to. When you inspire something, it is as if you are blowing air over a low flame to make it grow. A film can be inspired by a true story. Studying for your test will inspire confidence in you. Successful people often have a role model who inspired them to greatness. Who inspires you?
Vocabulary lists containing inspire
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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.
See Examples For:
“They’ve always been the guy that is able to inspire the players around him and be able to do things that don’t even seem like they’re possible. And he does that nightly.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
They break norms, provoke endless litigation, and inspire politicians to invest more time in line drawing than in policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
This research helped inspire the idea of using vitamin C as a form of early intervention, potentially targeting the biological changes that precede the development of leukemia.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Antonia, who has three young children, says that being underestimated can be a good thing, and she wants to remain open about her health to inspire other women.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Yet he has a train of attendants on the battlefield which should inspire anyone with confidence.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
“You Can See Everything” is as much about the fascination as it is the woman who inspires it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Nothing about your letter inspires confidence in your father-in-law’s confusing and, frankly, murky situation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Naturally its setting inspires both score and story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
In the joke that inspires the special’s title, she measures an Instagram comment’s subzero value in a wide scope, lampooning the communal yet cartoonish nature of our endless scroll.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
You are the one who inspires me to go on.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
The "Modern Warfare" games depict military conflicts in the modern era, inspired by international tensions, while the "Black Ops" games take place in an alternate reality where the Cold War never ended.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Billy Dean gave remarks, too, saying, “Back in the early ’80s, John’s sound and material struck the exact right chord with country record buyers and inspired a whole bunch of up-and-coming artists just like myself.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Its unusual appearance inspired a name drawn from ancient Chinese mythology.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
Neelam was inspired to set up Birmingham-based charity Cysters to help tackle inequalities in menstrual, maternal and menopausal health.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
"Instead of making humans in your mold, Nergal," says Ishtar, lowering her sword, "you could raise them up. They could be great again if we inspired them to be so."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Ayla Herrero, a 26-year-old anthropologist helping at the camp's infirmary, said it was "inspiring for us to know that we're inspiring other people, that it doesn't just stay here".
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
We saw her face the most difficult challenges, and she did it with so much grace and strength that it became, on top of everything else, a very inspiring story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
The charity said Hannay is an "inspiring example of determination and courage".
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
"It's inspiring a lot of new searches on our part," Householder says.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
His inspiring sermons retold the story of Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt and to freedom.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
