–verb (used with object)
- to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence:
His courage inspired his followers.
- to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.): to
inspire confidence in others.
- to fill or
affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc.: to inspire a person with distrust.
- to communicate or suggest by a divine or supernatural influence:
writings inspired by God.
- to guide or control by divine influence.
- to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc.: a philosophy
that inspired a revolution.
- to take (air,
gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale.
–verb (used without object)
- to give inspiration.
- to inhale.
Origin:
1300–50;
ME inspiren < L inspīrāre
to breathe upon or into, equiv. to in-
+ spīrāre to breathe
Related forms:
in⋅spir⋅a⋅tive
- adjective in⋅spir⋅er - noun
in⋅spir⋅ing⋅ly - adverb
Random House Dictionary,
2009
*** *** *** ***
* To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence.
* To fill with enlivening or exalting emotion:
hymns that inspire the congregation; an artist who was inspired by Impressionism.
* To draw
forth; elicit or arouse: a teacher who inspired admiration and respect.
* To be the cause or source of; bring about: an invention that inspired many imitations.
Archaic:
To breathe on.
To breathe life into.
Origin:
[Middle English enspiren, from Old French enspirer, from Latin
īnspīrāre : in-, into; see in-2 + spīrāre, to breathe.]
