inspire
To fill someone with the wish or the courage to do something.
inspire in a sentence
- The astronaut's visit to our school will inspire many children to study science.
- Beautiful scenery can inspire artists to paint.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to inspire?
- Adiscourage
- Bdishearten
- Cdeter
- Dmotivate
Show the answer
D: motivate. The other three mean the opposite of inspire.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to inspire?
- Adiscourage
- Bencourage
- Cmotivate
- Dstimulate
Show the answer
A: discourage. The other three mean nearly the same as inspire.
Words that mean something similar
motivate, encourage, stimulate
Words that mean the opposite
discourage, deter, dishearten
More words about emotions & feelings
- irate: Very angry, and showing it by shouting or complaining.
- irk: To annoy someone slightly.
- irresistible: So tempting that you cannot say no to it.
- irritable: Easily annoyed and quick to snap.
- jittery: Nervous and unable to keep still.
- jubilant: Feeling great joy because of a success.
- keen: Very eager and interested.
- kinship: A close connection or family bond between people.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test