What is your greatest source of inspiration?
Source: tatoeba (1852)
Inspiration
/ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
Synonyms for "inspiration" (331 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (67)
a priori knowledgeafflatusair currentambitionanimating spiritanimationanimusanticipationapercuapocalypseapolloapollo musagetesaqua lungaqua-lungardorarousalartificial respirationartistic imaginationaspirationassurance
Show 40 more words
asthmatic wheezeautomatic responseawakeningbasisblind impulsebragibrain wavebrainchildbrainstormbrainwavebreathbreath of airbreathingbright ideabright thoughtbrilliant ideabroken windbuddhicallingcalliopecastilian springcauseclairvoyanceclioconceptionconsiderationcoughcreative imaginationcreative powercreative thoughtcreativitycrosscurrentcurrentcurrent of airdaemondaimoniondeitydemondirect apprehensiondirect communication
Noun(5 words)
Verb(1 words)
boost morale
Adjective(1 words)
creative ideas
Strong matches (99)
divine afflatusdivine inspirationdivine revelationdowndraftdraftdraughtdraughtsmandraughtydriveebullienceecstasyeducationelanemboldeningencouragementenergyenlightenmentenlivenmententhusiasmepiphany
Show 53 more words
eratoesemplastic imaginationesemplastic powereuterpeexhalationexhilarationexpirationexsufflationfall windfancyfeelingfirefire of geniusfiringflashfleeting impulseflow of airfollowing windgaspgeistgeniusgoalgodgoddessgood ideagroundguideguiding lightguiding stargulpgustogut responsehackhead windhearteningheliconhiccuphinthippocreneidealilluminationimaginationimmediate cognitionimpulseincentiveincitementindraftinfectioninflowinfluenceinfusioninhalationinhalator
Noun(20 words)
divine guidancedrawing promptencouragementsencouragingenergia criativaenergisingenthusingepiphanyexamplefuelgalvanizationgalvanizingguidehopeideaimpetusimpetusesinhalationinhalationsinhale
Adjective(3 words)
driving factorenergizing imaginationgreat enthusiasm
Verb(3 words)
Related words (165)
inhalementinrushinsightinspiritinginspiritmentinstinctinsufflationintentionintuitionintuitionismintuitive reasonintuitivenessintuitivisminvoluntary impulseiron lungjetstreamkatabatic windknowledge without thoughtliftlodestar
Show 97 more words
mainspringmattermelpomenemonsoonmotivemouth-to-mouth resuscitationmovement of airmoving spiritmusemystical experiencemysticismmythicizationmythificationmythopoeianatural impulsenotionoxygen maskoxygen tentpantparnassuspassionpat on the backpierian springpieridespoesypoetic geniuspoetic imaginationpoetrypolyhymniaprecognitionprinciplepromotionprophecyprovocationpuffquick hunchreasonreassurancereflexrespirationrevelationsakesatoriscorescubasecond sightsecond-sightednessshaping imaginationsighsixth sensesneezesniffsnifflesnoresnoringsnuffsnufflesoulsourcesparklespiritspringspursternutationstertorstimulationstimulusstreamstream of airsubconscious knowledgesubconscious perceptionsucksuckingsuctionsudden thoughtsuggestionsuspirationtail windtalentterpsichorethaliathe musestheophaniatheophanytheopneustiatheopneustyulterior motiveundercurrentunmediated perceptionupdrafturgevigorvisionvocationwheezewindzeal
Adjective(3 words)
initial energizationnatural springspiritual feeling
Noun(43 words)
insightinspiration boostintakejuiceslightningsmodelmoonbeamsmorale boostmotivate teammotivationmotivatormusesnourishmentnutrimentpeppepsplanting a seedporrimapower sourcerole model
Show 23 more words
role model for studentsrousingsource of energysparkspark imaginationsparksspiritual nourishmentstimulusstirringstromquellesublimennesssunbeamssustenancesustenancessymbol of hopetask motivationtorchlighttrancesupliftupliftingupliftingsvisionswriting prompt
Verb(2 words)
sow seedssparking
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: a priori knowledge, afflatus, air current, ambition, animating spirit.
- Sentence evidence is available for inspiration, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, wordnet, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "inspiration".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "inspiration"
Keep "inspiration" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "inspiration" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "inspiration", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "inspiration" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
11 entriesMore specific
9 entriesCollocations
5 entriesburst of inspirationcreative inspirationinspirational quoteinspirational speechsource of inspiration
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
67 translations across 44 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- إِلْهَام noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Armenian
1 entries- ոգեշնչում noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Belarusian
1 entries- натхне́нне noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Bulgarian
1 entries- вдъхновение noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Catalan
1 entries- inspiració noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 靈感 /灵感 noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- 鼓舞 noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Czech
1 entries- inspirace noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Danish
1 entries- inspiration noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Dutch
1 entries- inspiratie noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Esperanto
2 entries- inspiriteco noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- inspiro noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Finnish
2 entries- innoitus noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- inspiraatio noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
French
1 entries- inspiration noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Georgian
2 entries- ინსპირაცია noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- შთაგონება noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
German
1 entries- Inspiration noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Greek
1 entries- έμπνευση noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Hebrew
1 entries- הַשְׁרָאָה noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Hindi
1 entries- प्रेरणा noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Hungarian
4 entries- ihlet noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- inspiráció noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- lelkesítés noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- sugallat noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Icelandic
1 entries- innblástur noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Indonesian
2 entries- ilham noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- inspirasi noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Irish
2 entries- inspioráid noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- spreagadh noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Italian
3 entries- illuminazione noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- ispirazione noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- suggestione noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Japanese
2 entries- 霊感 noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- 鼓舞 noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Korean
4 entries- 감화 noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- 격려 noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- 고무 noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- 고취 noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Latvian
2 entries- iedvesma noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- inspirācija noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Macedonian
1 entries- вдахнове́ние noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Malay
1 entries- ilham noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Māori
2 entries- whakahihikotanga noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- whakaohoohonga noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Navajo
1 entries- dadíníidzįįł noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- inspirasjon noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- inspirasjon noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Old English
1 entries- onbryrdnes noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Old Norse
1 entries- óðr noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- الهام noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Polish
2 entries- inspiracja noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- natchnienie noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Portuguese
1 entries- inspiração noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Romanian
1 entries- inspirație noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Russian
1 entries- вдохнове́ние noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Serbo-Croatian
3 entries- nadahnuće noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- udahnuće noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- zadahnuće noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Spanish
1 entries- inspiración noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Swedish
1 entries- inspiration noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Tagalog
2 entries- sigliwa noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
- sigya noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Turkish
1 entries- ilham noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Ukrainian
1 entries- натхне́ння noun (stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions)
Sample sentences
32 total sentences available.
I lost my inspiration.
Source: tatoeba (1892)
They had good flashes of inspiration about this plan.
Source: tatoeba (59543)
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Source: tatoeba (278964)
Showing 4 of 32 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "inspiration"?
Closest matches include a priori knowledge, afflatus, air current, ambition, animating spirit.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "inspiration"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.