# inject

/ˌɪnˈdʒɛkt/ (US) · /ɪndʒˈɛkt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/inject
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. medical use

verb · CEFR B2

to put medicine or a drug into someone's body using a needle and a syringe.

For teachers: to administer a liquid, such as a vaccine or medication, into the body using a needle and syringe. Often used with 'into'.

- The nurse had to inject the medicine into my arm.
- The physician decided to inject the steroid directly into the joint to provide immediate relief from the inflammation.

Usage: Often takes a direct object (the substance) followed by 'into' (the recipient).

### 2. to add a quality

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to add a new quality or feeling to a situation to make it more interesting or successful.

For teachers: to introduce a new or different element into a situation, conversation, or organisation to improve it or change its character.

- The new manager tried to inject some energy into the tired team.
- The government's plan is to inject billions of dollars into the struggling housing market to stimulate growth.

Usage: Commonly used with abstract nouns like 'life', 'energy', 'humour', or 'cash'.

### 3. software/code

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to put extra code into a computer program, often to fix a problem or to attack a system.

For teachers: to introduce code into an existing program or its memory space, frequently associated with security vulnerabilities or modular updates.

- Hackers can inject malicious code into websites that are not secure.
- The software update allows the system to inject custom scripts into the workflow without restarting the main server.

Usage: Frequently appears in the context of 'SQL injection' or 'dependency injection'.

## Examples

- The nurse will inject the medicine into your arm.
- The government plans to inject millions of dollars into the local economy to create more jobs.
- By hiring a younger creative director, the fashion house hoped to inject some much-needed energy and modern perspective into its aging brand identity.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.