inject
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to put medicine or a drug into someone's body using a needle and a syringe.
to administer a liquid, such as a vaccine or medication, into the body using a needle and syringe. Often used with 'into'.
Simple“The nurse had to inject the medicine into my arm.”
In context“The physician decided to inject the steroid directly into the joint to provide immediate relief from the inflammation.”
UsageOften takes a direct object (the substance) followed by 'into' (the recipient).
Synonymsvaccinateinoculate - 02 C1 Advanced
to add a new quality or feeling to a situation to make it more interesting or successful.
to introduce a new or different element into a situation, conversation, or organisation to improve it or change its character.
Simple“The new manager tried to inject some energy into the tired team.”
In context“The government's plan is to inject billions of dollars into the struggling housing market to stimulate growth.”
UsageCommonly used with abstract nouns like 'life', 'energy', 'humour', or 'cash'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
to put extra code into a computer program, often to fix a problem or to attack a system.
to introduce code into an existing program or its memory space, frequently associated with security vulnerabilities or modular updates.
Simple“Hackers can inject malicious code into websites that are not secure.”
In context“The software update allows the system to inject custom scripts into the workflow without restarting the main server.”
UsageFrequently appears in the context of 'SQL injection' or 'dependency injection'.
From Latin iniectus, injectus, participle of iniciō, injiciō (“I throw in”), from in- + iaciō (“I throw”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.