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inspire - 6 dictionary results
Inspire Fungicide
 Top-of-class disease protection for sugar beets and pome fruit.
 www.inspire-fungicide.com
Interspire Software
 Global Leader in eCommerce, CMS & Email Marketing Solutions.
 www.interspire.com

in⋅spire

  [in-spahyuhr] verb, -spired, -spir⋅ing.
Use inspire in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence: His courage inspired his followers.
2. to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.): to inspire confidence in others.
3. to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc.: to inspire a person with distrust.
4. to influence or impel: Competition inspired her to greater efforts.
5. to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like, does: They were inspired by a belief in a better future.
6. to communicate or suggest by a divine or supernatural influence: writings inspired by God.
7. to guide or control by divine influence.
8. to prompt or instigate (utterances, acts, etc.) by influence, without avowal of responsibility.
9. to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc.: a philosophy that inspired a revolution.
10. to take (air, gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale.
11. Archaic.
a. to infuse (breath, life, etc.) by breathing (usually fol. by into).
b. to breathe into or upon.
–verb (used without object)
12. to give inspiration.
13. to inhale.
Origin:
1300–50; ME inspiren < L inspīrāre to breathe upon or into, equiv. to in- in- 2 + spīrāre to breathe

Related forms:
in⋅spir⋅a⋅tive  [in-spahyuhr-uh-tiv, in-spi-rey-tiv] , adjective
in⋅spir⋅er, noun
in⋅spir⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To inspire
in·spire   (ĭn-spīr')   
v.   in·spired, in·spir·ing, in·spires

v.   tr.
  1. To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence.
  2. To fill with enlivening or exalting emotion: hymns that inspire the congregation; an artist who was inspired by Impressionism.
    1. To stimulate to action; motivate: a sales force that was inspired by the prospect of a bonus.
    2. To affect or touch: The falling leaves inspired her with sadness.
    3. To breathe on.
    4. To breathe life into.
  4. To draw forth; elicit or arouse: a teacher who inspired admiration and respect.
  5. To be the cause or source of; bring about: an invention that inspired many imitations.
  6. To draw in (air) by inhaling.
  7. Archaic
    1. To breathe on.
    2. To breathe life into.
v.   intr.
  1. To stimulate energies, ideals, or reverence: a leader who inspires by example.
  2. To inhale.

[Middle English enspiren, from Old French enspirer, from Latin īnspīrāre : in-, into; see in-2 + spīrāre, to breathe.]
in·spir'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Inspire

In*spire"\, 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.

When Zephirus eek, with his sweete breath, Inspir[`e]d hath in every holt and health The tender crops. --Chaucer.

Descend, ye Nine, descend and sing, The breathing instruments inspire. --Pope.

2. To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.

He knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul. --Wisdom xv. 11.

3. To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale; -- opposed to expire.

Forced to inspire and expire the air with difficulty. --Harvey.

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.

And generous stout courage did inspire. --Spenser.

But dawning day new comfort hath inspired. --Shak.

5. To infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence; to fill with what animates, enlivens, or exalts; to communicate inspiration to; as, to inspire a child with sentiments of virtue.

Erato, thy poet's mind inspire, And fill his soul with thy celestial fire. --Dryden.

Inspire

In*spire"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Inspired; p. pr. & vb. n. Inspiring.]

1. To draw in breath; to inhale air into the lungs; -- opposed to expire.

2. To breathe; to blow gently. [Obs.]

And when the wind amongst them did inspire, They wav[`e]d like a penon wide dispread. --Spenser.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : inspire
Spanish: animar, estimular,
German: anfeuern,
Japanese: 奮起させる
More Translations »

Main Entry: in·spire
Pronunciation: in-'spI(&)r
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: in·spired; in·spir·ing
transitivesenses
: to draw in by breathing : breathe in : INHALE inspire themucus down into its lungs —Fire Manual (Massachusetts)> inspire intransitive senses
: to draw in breath : inhale air into the lungs
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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inspire in·spire (ĭn-spīr')
v. in·spired, in·spir·ing, in·spires
To draw in breath; to inhale.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see inspire on Thesaurus | Reference
Inspire Fungicide
 Top-of-class disease protection for sugar beets and pome fruit.
 www.inspire-fungicide.com
Interspire Software
 Global Leader in eCommerce, CMS & Email Marketing Solutions.
 www.interspire.com