What does “inspire” mean?
- 1
verbto give someone the wish, energy or idea to do something
Her teacher inspired her to become a scientist.
- 2
verbto make someone have a particular feeling
The new leader inspires confidence.
Inspire at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb
- CEFR level
- B2 (upper intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /ɪnˈspaɪər/ · in-SPYR
How to use “inspire” correctly
“Inspired by” shows the source of an idea: “a film inspired by true events”.
Common phrases with “inspire”
- inspire sb to do
- inspire confidence
- be inspired by
- inspire a generation
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- motivate
- encourage
- stimulate
Word family
- inspiration
- inspiring
- inspired
- inspirational
“inspire” is on these word lists
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