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inspire

   Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
in·spire  (n-spr)
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.
3.
a. To stimulate to action; motivate: a sales force that was inspired by the prospect of a bonus.
b. To affect or touch: The falling leaves inspired her with sadness.
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
a. To breathe on.
b. 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 nsprre : in-, into; see in-2 + sprre, to breathe.]

in·spirer n.

inspire
Verb
[-spiring, -spired]
1. to stimulate (a person) to activity or creativity
2. to arouse (an emotion or a reaction): he inspires confidence [Latin in- into + spirare to breathe]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb1.inspire - heighten or intensify; "These paintings exalt the imagination"
stimulate, stir, shake up, excite, shake - stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of; "These stories shook the community"; "the civil war shook the country"
encourage - inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to
2.inspire - supply the inspiration for; "The article about the artist inspired the exhibition of his recent work"
occasion - give occasion to
3.inspire - serve as the inciting cause of; "She prompted me to call my relatives"
cause, induce, stimulate, make, get, have - cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; "The ads induced me to buy a VCR"; "My children finally got me to buy a computer"; "My wife made me buy a new sofa"
4.inspire - spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts; "The crowd cheered the demonstrating strikers"
cheerlead - act as a cheerleader in a sports event
encourage - inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to
5.inspire - fill with revolutionary ideas
indoctrinate - teach doctrines to; teach uncritically; "The Moonies indoctrinate their disciples"
6.inspire - draw in (air); "Inhale deeply"; "inhale the fresh mountain air"; "The patient has trouble inspiring"; "The lung cancer patient cannot inspire air very well"
breathe, take a breath, suspire, respire - draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs; "I can breathe better when the air is clean"; "The patient is respiring"
aspirate - suck in (air)
sniff, sniffle - inhale audibly through the nose; "the sick student was sniffling in the back row"
snivel, snuffle - snuff up mucus through the nose
snuff - inhale audibly through the nose; "snuff coke"
puff, drag, draw - suck in or take (air); "draw a deep breath"; "draw on a cigarette"
huff, snort - inhale recreational drugs; "The addict was snorting cocaine almost every day"; "the kids were huffing glue"

inspire
verb 1. motivate, move, cause, stimulate, encourage, influence, persuade, spur, be responsible for, animate, rouse, instil, infuse, hearten, enliven, imbue, spark off, energize, galvanize, gee up, inspirit, fire or touch the imagination of << OPPOSITE discourage
Translations
Spanish inspire [ɪnˈspaɪəʳ] vtinspirar;
to inspire sb (to do sth) → alentar a algn (a hacer algo)

French inspire [ɪnˈspaɪəʳ] inspiration vtinspirer
German inspire [ɪnˈspaɪəʳ] vtinspirieren;
(confidence, hope etc) → (er)wecken

Italian inspire [ɪnˈspaɪəʳ] vtispirare

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Mrs Deborah no sooner observed this than she fell to squeezing and kissing, with as great raptures as sometimes inspire the sage dame of forty and five towards a youthful and vigorous bridegroom, crying out, in a shrill voice, "O, the dear little creature
There is much in that sound to inspire proud feelings; but whereto does all that circumnavigation conduct?
with the feeble malice of a tired man; but, as he had no theory, and no coat on, he was unanimously set at nought - not to mention his smoking hard behind, as he stood with his back to the kitchen fire to draw the damp out: which was not calculated to inspire confidence.
 
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