Word
inspire
Phoneticsin·spire, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪnˈspaɪɹ/
UK/ɪnspˈaɪə/
Definitions
01to motivate or encourage
B1 · Intermediate
v. to make someone feel that they want to do something and can do it.
v. to fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially something creative or positive.
日本語:鼓舞する※
“The teacher's passion for science inspired the students to start their own projects.”
“The CEO's keynote address was designed to inspire the workforce during a period of significant corporate restructuring.”
Usage
Often used in the passive voice: 'to be inspired by'.
Pitfall
His speech inspired to me.
His speech inspired me.
The verb 'inspire' is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'to'.
Antonyms
02to give rise to
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to be the reason why someone creates a piece of art, a book, or an idea.
v. to serve as the creative or intellectual catalyst for a specific work or idea.
日本語:触発する※
“The beautiful landscape inspired her to paint a series of watercolours.”
“The architect admitted that the jagged peaks of the Alps had inspired the unique geometric roof of the new museum.”
03to breathe in
C2 · Proficiency Medicine Technical
v. to breathe air into your lungs.
v. to draw air into the lungs; the physiological act of inhalation.
“The doctor asked the patient to inspire deeply while he listened to her chest.”
“During the respiratory assessment, the patient was instructed to inspire slowly to allow for a clear auscultation of the lower lung lobes.”
Usage
In modern English, 'inhale' is much more common for everyday use; 'inspire' is largely restricted to medical or formal contexts.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “inspire” in context.
Verb
01. deeply inspire the audience
“The athlete's story of recovery deeply inspired the audience at the conference.”
adv + verb + noun
02. inspire confidence in others
“The new CEO's calm demeanor helped to inspire confidence in others during the crisis.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. inspire students to learn
“Her innovative teaching methods truly inspire students to learn more about science.”
verb + noun + infinitive
Noun
04. ability to inspire people
“A leader's greatest asset is often their natural ability to inspire people.”
noun + infinitive
Adverb
05. greatly inspire the team
“The captain's speech before the final match greatly inspired the team to victory.”
adv + verb + noun
06. inspire someone through hard work
“She managed to inspire her peers through hard work and dedication to the project.”
verb + noun + prep + adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“It is pain that inspires me, not happiness.” “Playing for Enzo Maresca inspires plenty of emotions, but excitement would probably feature pretty low down a list.” Etymology
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/inspire
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0