Definition of 'inspire'
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense inspires, present participle inspiring, past tense, past participle inspired
1. transitive verb
If someone or something inspires you to do something new or unusual, they make you want to do it.
2. transitive verb
3. transitive verb [usu passive]
If a book, work of art, or action is inspired by something, that thing is the source of the idea for it.
4. transitive verb
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
inspire in American English
verb transitiveWord forms: inˈspired or inˈspiring
2.
to draw (air) into the lungs; inhale
3.
4.
5.
to arouse or produce (a thought or feeling)
kindness inspires love
6.
to affect with a specified feeling or thought
to inspire someone with fear
7.
to occasion, cause, or produce
verb intransitive
9.
to inhale
10.
to give inspiration
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
inspirable (inˈspirable)
adjective
inspirer (inˈspirer)
noun
Word Frequency
inspire in American English
(ɪnˈspaiᵊr) (verb -spired, -spiring)
transitive verb
2.
to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.)
to inspire confidence in others
3.
to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc
to inspire a person with distrust
4.
to influence or impel
Competition inspired her to greater efforts
5.
to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like, does
They were inspired by a belief in a better future
7.
to guide or control by divine influence
8.
to prompt or instigate (utterances, acts, etc.) by influence, without avowal of responsibility
9.
to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc
a philosophy that inspired a revolution
10.
to take (air, gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale
11. archaic
b.
to breathe into or upon
intransitive verb
12.
to give inspiration
13.
to inhale
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
inspirative (ɪnˈspaiᵊrətɪv, ˈɪnspɪˌreitɪv) adjective
inspirer
noun
inspiringly
adverb
Word origin
[1300–50; ME inspiren ‹ L inspīrāre to breathe upon or into, equiv. to in- in-2 + spīrāre to breathe]Word Frequency
inspire in British English
verb
1.
2. (tr; foll by with or to; may take an infinitive)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
inspirable (inˈspirable) adjective
inspirative (inˈspirative)
adjective
inspirer (inˈspirer)
noun
inspiringly (inˈspiringly)
adverb
Word origin
C14 (in the sense: to breathe upon, blow into): from Latin inspīrāre, from spīrāre to breathe
Examples of 'inspire' in a sentence
inspire
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In other languages
inspire
British English: inspire
VERB /ɪnˈspaɪə/
If someone or something inspires you to do something new or unusual, they make you want to do it.
These herbs will inspire you to try out all sorts of exotic-flavoured dishes!
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inspire
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inspire
Source
Definition of inspire from the Collins English Dictionary
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