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inspire

/ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)/ɪnˈspaɪɹ/ (Canada, General-American)/ɪnˈspɑeə(ɹ)/ (Australia)
  • verb
  • from Old French

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.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “inspire” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

verb

  1. transitiveTo 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.

    Dawning day new comfort hath inspired.c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blou

  2. transitiveTo 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.

  3. ambitransitiveTo draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale.

    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.1672, Gideon Harvey, Morbus Anglicus, Or, The Anatomy of Consumptions:

  4. To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.
  5. transitiveTo spread rumour indirectly.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. archaictransitiveTo breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate.
Wiktionary: “inspire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (6)
  1. verbheighten or intensify — also: animate, invigorate, enliven, exalt
  2. verbsupply the inspiration for
  3. verbserve as the inciting cause of — also: prompt, instigate
  4. verbspur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts — also: cheer, root on, urge, barrack, urge on
  5. verbfill with revolutionary ideas — also: revolutionize, revolutionise
  6. verbdraw in (air) — also: inhale, breathe in
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: beghast

Antonyms: expire

Wiktionary: “inspire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)inspire
  2. Middle Englishinspiren
  3. Old Frenchinspirer
  4. Latinīnspīrāre “inspire”
  5. Latinin + spīrō “breathe”
  6. Proto-Indo-European* (s)

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”).

Wiktionary: “inspire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “inspire”

awe-inspiringbio-inspiredinspirableinspirerinspirometermisinspirereinspireuninspire

Phrases & compounds

philatelically inspired

Related terms

awe-inspireinspirationinspirationalinspiratorinspiratory
Wiktionary: “inspire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “inspire” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “inspire” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Old French
Old French inspirer
Oldest written form
Latin
Latin in + spīrō
Deepest root (reconstructed)
Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European * (s)
Wiktionary: “inspire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Latin
“inspire”
Latin īnspīrāre
Wiktionary: “inspire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

inspire v. t. [OE. enspiren, OF. enspirer, inspirer, F. inspirer, fr. L. inspirare; pref. in- in + spirare to breathe. See Spirit.]

  1. To breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate.
  2. To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.
  3. To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale; -- opposed to expire.
  4. 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.

inspire v. i.

  1. To draw in breath; to inhale air into the lungs; -- opposed to expire.
  2. To breathe; to blow gently.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

verbMeaning: 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.

Dawning day new comfort hath inspired.c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blou

He knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Wisdom 15:11:

verbMeaning: 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.

The captain's speech was aimed to inspire her team to victory in the final.

verbMeaning: To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale.

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.1672, Gideon Harvey, Morbus Anglicus, Or, The Anatomy of Consumptions:

Everything was elaborately padded, even the Myers apparatus which was to absorb carbonic acid and replace the oxygen inspired by its tenant1896, H. G. Wells, In the Abyss, Pearson's Magazine:

verbMeaning: supply the inspiration for

The article about the artist inspired the exhibition of his recent work

verbMeaning: draw in (air)

The lung cancer patient cannot inspire air very well

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “inspire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 7

Say it, then spell it

inspire

/ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

inspire

/ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ · verb

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “inspire” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (verb) 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.
2. (verb) To infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence; to fill with what animates, enlivens or exalts; to communicate inspiration to.
3. (verb) To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale.
4. (verb) To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.
5. (verb) To spread rumour indirectly.

Step 3 — History and origin

Which language did “inspire” come into English from?   A. Old French  B. Late Latin  C. Anglo-Norman  D. New Latin

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “inspire” and what each means:

Step 4 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Latin īnspīrāre. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 5 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “inspire” to mean: 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.
Write a sentence using “inspire” to mean: To infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence; to fill with what animates, enlivens or exalts; to communicate inspiration to.
Write a sentence using “inspire” to mean: To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — inspire

Origin: A. Old French (Old French inspirer)

Journey: English inspire ← Middle English inspiren ← Old French inspirer ← Latin īnspīrāre ← Latin in + spīrō ← Proto-Indo-European *

Some derivatives: awe-inspiring, bio-inspired, inspirable, inspirer, inspirometer, misinspire, reinspire, uninspire

Original meaning: Latin īnspīrāre — “inspire”

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”).

Sources: Wiktionary “inspire” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inspire#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/inspire