Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: French
Origin: inspirer, from Latin, from spirare 'to breathe'

inspire

 verb
     
Related topics: Medicine
in‧spire [transitive]
1 to encourage someone by making them feel confident and eager to do something:
We need someone who can inspire the team.
inspire somebody to do something
He inspired many young people to take up the sport.
inspire somebody to something
I hope this success will inspire you to greater efforts.
Inspired by the sunny weather, I decided to explore the woods.
2 to make someone have a particular feeling or react in a particular way:
Gandhi's quiet dignity inspired great respect.
inspire confidence (=make people feel confident because they trust your ability)
His driving hardly inspires confidence.
The hospital's record does not inspire confidence.
3 to give someone the idea for something, especially a story, painting, poem etc:
The story was inspired by a chance meeting with an old Russian duke.
a range of designs inspired by wild flowers
4 technicalM to breathe in
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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