inspire
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to make someone feel that they want to do something and can do it.
to fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially something creative or positive.
Simple“The teacher's passion for science inspired the students to start their own projects.”
In context“The CEO's keynote address was designed to inspire the workforce during a period of significant corporate restructuring.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice: 'to be inspired by'.
PitfallHis speech inspired to me. His speech inspired me.The verb 'inspire' is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'to'.
Antonymsdiscouragedishearten - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to be the reason why someone creates a piece of art, a book, or an idea.
to serve as the creative or intellectual catalyst for a specific work or idea.
Simple“The beautiful landscape inspired her to paint a series of watercolours.”
In context“The architect admitted that the jagged peaks of the Alps had inspired the unique geometric roof of the new museum.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
to breathe air into your lungs.
to draw air into the lungs; the physiological act of inhalation.
Simple“The doctor asked the patient to inspire deeply while he listened to her chest.”
In context“During the respiratory assessment, the patient was instructed to inspire slowly to allow for a clear auscultation of the lower lung lobes.”
UsageIn modern English, 'inhale' is much more common for everyday use; 'inspire' is largely restricted to medical or formal contexts.
Usage inspire a new
“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.”
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.