From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishinspirein‧spire /ɪnˈspaɪə $ -ˈspaɪr/ ●●○ verb [transitive] 1 HELPENTHUSIASTICto 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 CAUSEto 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 IDEAto 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 flowers4 technicalMBREATHE to breathe in→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
inspire• The movie was inspired by real events.• The country needs a leader who can inspire its citizens.• Mrs. Pianto was the kind of woman who inspired kindness.• When I actually visited the university, it inspired me and made me want to go there.• The lecture today really inspired me to read more poetry.inspire somebody to something• The coach inspired them to victory.not inspire confidence• As has already been suggested, their record does not inspire confidence.• If elected he would be almost seventy as he took office; some spectacular gaffes during the campaign did not inspire confidence.• Its record in economic crisis-management does not inspire confidence.• But, as Elinor was always telling him, Henry did not inspire confidence as a representative of the legal profession.• As we shall see, conflicts of interest left unregulated do not inspire confidence upon which the financial markets depend.• A test ban that could not inspire confidence would undermine stability and might even provoke a new arms race.Origin inspire (1300-1400) French inspirer, from Latin, from spirare “to breathe” 