What does "inspire" mean?
To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by inspiration.
Inspire
/ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ verb
verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by inspiration.
- Grammar: inspire is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: activate, actuate, actuates, affect.
- Useful contrasts: benumbed, cloying, deflated.
- Usage evidence: Asian religions inspire him to create splendid sculptures.
How to use "inspire"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "inspire" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "inspire" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "inspire" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "inspire" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "inspire" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "activate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "inspire", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by inspiration. transitive
"He knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul."
- 2 draw in (air) wordnet
- 3 To infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence; to fill with what animates, enlivens or exalts; to communicate inspiration to. transitive
"Elders should inspire children with sentiments of virtue."
- 4 fill with revolutionary ideas wordnet
- 5 To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale. ambitransitive
"By means of those sulfurous coal smokes the lungs are as it were stifled and extremely oppressed, whereby they are forced to inspire and expire the air with difficulty."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 serve as the inciting cause of wordnet
- 7 To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.
- 8 spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts wordnet
- 9 To breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate. archaic, transitive
"Deſcend ye nine! deſcend and ſing; / The breathing inſtruments inſpire, / VVake into voice each ſilent ſtring, / And ſvveep the ſounding lyre!"
- 10 supply the inspiration for wordnet
- 11 To spread rumour indirectly. transitive
- 12 heighten or intensify wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Asian religions inspire him to create splendid sculptures."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "inspire"?
Common synonyms include: activate, actuate, actuates, affect, affect display, affects.
How do you use "inspire" in a sentence?
Asian religions inspire him to create splendid sculptures.
How do you pronounce "inspire"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
From Middle English inspiren, enspiren, from Old French inspirer, variant of espirer, from Latin īnspīrāre (“inspire”), itself a loan-translation of Biblical Ancient Greek πνέω (pnéō, “breathe”), from in + spīrō (“breathe”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”). Displaced native Old English onbryrdan (literally “to prick in”).