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inspire

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inspire

  • /ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ UK
  • /ɪnˈspaɪɹ/ Canada, US
  • /ɪnˈspɑeə(ɹ)/ Australia
  • /ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ New Zealand
  • [ɪnˈspɑeə(ɹ)] New Zealand

Rhymes with -aɪə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

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”).

verb inspires · inspiring · inspired

  1. transitive 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. Dawning day new comfort hath inspired.
  2. transitive To infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence; to fill with what animates, enlivens or exalts; to communicate inspiration to. Elders should inspire children with sentiments of virtue.
  3. ambitransitive To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale. 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.
  4. To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.
  5. archaic, transitive To breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate. Deſcend ye nine! deſcend and ſing; / The breathing inſtruments inſpire, / VVake into voice each ſilent ſtring, / And ſvveep the ſounding lyre!
  6. transitive To spread rumour indirectly.

Similar: beghast · Opposite: expire

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: animate, exalt, exhort, revolutionize, urge on, enliven, invigorate, pep up, instigate, urge, cheer, prompt, barrack, infect, create, elicit

verb

Similar: beghast · Opposite: expire

Translations

Every language

verb to infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit

中文授意 shòuyì, 鼓舞 gǔwǔ
Portuguêsinspirar
Françaisinspirer
Deutschinspirieren
Italianoispirare
Ελληνικάεμπνέω empnéo
Românăinspira
Русскийвнуша́ть vnušátʹ, внуши́ть vnušítʹ, вдохновля́ть vdoxnovljátʹ, вдохнови́ть vdoxnovítʹ
עבריתהשרה hishrá

verb to infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence

Españolinspirar, infundir
中文影响 yǐngxiǎng
Françaisinspirer
Deutschinspirieren
Românăinspira
Русскийвдохновля́ть vdoxnovljátʹ, вдохнови́ть vdoxnovítʹ, воодушевля́ть vooduševljátʹ, воодушеви́ть vooduševítʹ
עבריתהשרה hishrá

verb to infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing

中文吸入 xīrù
Françaisinspirer
Deutschbeatmen, einhauchen
Italianoispirare
Ελληνικάπνέω pnéo
Русскийвдыха́ть vdyxátʹ, вдохну́ть vdoxnútʹ

verb archaic: to breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate

中文吹入, 吹奏 chuīzòu
Italianoispirare

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Cite this
MLA

"inspire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/inspire. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

inspire. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/inspire

Chicago

"inspire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/inspire.

BibTeX
@misc{inspire_2026,
  title = {inspire},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/inspire},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}