inspire
English
Etymology
From Old French inspirer, variant of espirer, from Latin īnspīrāre, present active infinitive of īnspīrō (“inspire”), itself a loan-translation of the Ancient Greek πνέω (pnéō, “breathe”) in the Bible, from in + spīrō (“breathe”).
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ɪn.ˈspaɪɹ/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪn.ˈspaɪə(ɹ)/
- Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)
Verb
inspire (third-person singular simple present inspires, present participle inspiring, simple past and past participle inspired)
- (transitive) To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by inspiration.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Wisdom 15:11:
- He knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul.
- c. 1588-1593, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus
- Dawning day new comfort hath inspired.
- 2012 March-April, Anna Lena Phillips, “Sneaky Silk Moths”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 172:
- Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.
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- (transitive) To infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence; to fill with what animates, enlivens or exalts; to communicate inspiration to.
- Elders should inspire children with sentiments of virtue.
- (Can we date this quote by Dryden?)
- Erato, thy poet's mind inspire, / And fill his soul with thy celestial fire.
- (intransitive) To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale.
- c. 1670, Gideon Harvey, Morbus Anglicus", Or a Theoretick and Practical Discourse of Consumptions and Hypochondriack Melancholy... Likewise a Discourse of Spitting of Blood
- By means of those sulfurous coal smokes the lungs are as it were stifled and extremely oppressed, whereby they are forced to inspire and expire the air with difficulty.
- c. 1670, Gideon Harvey, Morbus Anglicus", Or a Theoretick and Practical Discourse of Consumptions and Hypochondriack Melancholy... Likewise a Discourse of Spitting of Blood
- To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.
- (archaic, transitive) To breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate.
- (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope?)
- Descend, ye Nine, descend and sing, / The breathing instruments inspire.
- (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope?)
- (transitive) To spread rumour indirectly.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- (inhale): expire
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
to infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit
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to infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence
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to inhale — see inhale
to infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing
archaic: to breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
Asturian
French
Portuguese
Spanish
Verb
inspire
- First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of inspirar.
- Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of inspirar.
- Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of inspirar.
- Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of inspirar.
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