inspire

verb

in-ˈspī(-ə)r How to pronounce inspire (audio)
Definition of inspirenext
1
as in to encourage
to fill with courage or strength of purpose the rousing campaign speech inspired everyone to get out the vote

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to elicit
to draw out (something hidden, latent, or reserved) what inspired that comment?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding great works of visual art can inspire us in ways that the written word often cannot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inspire Ineos just announced a new series of Grenadier special editions inspired by the elements, starting with the Helmsman. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026 Chatten, the band’s main lyricist, was also inspired by his friend Nikolaj Schultz’s book Land Sickness, a semifictional tale of eco-anxiety. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026 The robot can perform jumps, wheelies, flips, and other maneuvers inspired by mountain biking and trials cycling. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026 The restaurant is decorated with photography, artwork and cultural references inspired by the Charlotte area. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inspire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inspire
  1. encourage
  2. elicit
  3. educate
  4. evoke
Verb
  • Mitte encouraged people to open up with each other and be candid about their feelings.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Sepesi hopes the worldwide attention surrounding the Pope's diagnosis will encourage more people to learn about lung cancer.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of encourage
Verb
  • That is a reward-maximizing system doing exactly what the reward function told it to do in a scenario designed to elicit the outcome.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Perhaps the only prominent Ukrainian who has demanded a wartime election is Fedorov, the former defense minister who elicited the comment about Starshield from Musk.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of elicit
Verb
  • Their legacy lives on in our mission to connect, educate, mentor and champion talent at every stage of a career.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • On Tuesday, both the NBA and WNBA announced a responsible gaming campaign, partnering with National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to educate fans about sports betting risks.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of educate
Verb
  • Is there a future for the kinds of musical deja vu the Avalanches are so adept at evoking?
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Those first computers, developed during the Second World War, evoked the basement warehouses of a chandelier wholesaler.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of evoke

Browse Nearby Words

inspirations
inspire
inspired
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inspire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inspire. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All