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inspire

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verb [transitive] British English pronunciation: inspire /ɪnˈspaɪə(r)/ 
Word Forms
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present tense
I/you/we/theyinspire
he/she/itinspires
present participleinspiring
past tenseinspired
past participleinspired
  1. 1
    to give someone the enthusiasm to do or create something

    Inspired by her example, other zoologists have begun working with apes in the wild.

    inspire someone to something:

    Stewart did his best to inspire his team to greater efforts.

    inspire someone to do something:

    We use interactive displays to inspire children to read and write for pleasure.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  inspireThesaurus entry for this meaning of inspire
    1. a.
      to give someone the idea for a piece of work

      The sea inspired many of the artist’s later paintings.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  inspireThesaurus entry for this meaning of inspire
  2. 2
    to give people a particular feeling

    a car that inspires envy among other drivers

    inspire something in someone:

    His athleticism inspires awe in everyone who sees him in action.

    inspire confidence:

    Her resignation will do little to inspire confidence in a company that is already struggling.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  inspireThesaurus entry for this meaning of inspire

This is the British English definition of inspire. View American English definition of inspire.

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