From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishinspirationin‧spi‧ra‧tion /ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃən/ ●●○ noun [countable, uncountable] 1 IDEAa good idea about what you should do, write, say etc, especially one which you get suddenly The Malvern Hills have provided inspiration for many artists and musicians over the decades. He raised his eyes to the altar as if seeking inspiration. He draws inspiration from ordinary scenes. Mary Quant’s inspiration comes from the glam style of the seventies. He had a sudden flash of inspiration. He has always been a source of inspiration for me.► see thesaurus at idea2 HELPENTHUSIASTICa person, experience, place etc that gives you new ideas for something you do The seascapes of Cape Cod were her inspiration.inspiration for/behind He was the inspiration for Wordsworth’s poem ‘The Old Huntsman’.3 → be an inspiration to somebody4 → under the inspiration of somebodyCOLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2verbsget inspiration from somethingHe gets much of his inspiration from the classical poets.draw/take/derive inspiration from something (=get inspiration)She draws inspiration from mythology and folk stories.find inspiration in somethingAs a musician, he finds inspiration in traditional music.look for inspiration (also seek inspiration formal)I sought inspiration in medieval carvings.have an inspiration (=suddenly have an idea)He had an inspiration while he was taking a walk in the countryside.lack inspiration (=not have any good or interesting ideas)His latest album appears to lack inspiration.provide inspiration for somethingThe Malvern Hills have provided inspiration for many artists.inspiration comes from somebody/somethingThe architect’s chief inspiration came from Christopher Wren.phrasesa flash of inspiration (=a sudden good idea)A sudden flash of inspiration came to him.a source of inspiration for/to somebodyOur success was a source of inspiration for many countries in Africa.adjectivesa great inspirationMy mother was a great inspiration to me.a sudden inspirationHe had a sudden inspiration.fresh inspiration (=new inspiration)Fresh inspiration was provided by his trip to Italy.direct inspiration (=in which someone copies an idea directly from a person or thing)She took direct inspiration from the films of John Ford.divine inspiration (=inspiration from God)He prayed for divine inspiration.creative inspiration (=which inspires someone to create something new, for example a story or a work of art)Her creative inspiration is evident in this series of sculptures.artistic inspiration (=which inspires someone to produce a work of art)Writers are always looking for new sources of inspiration.poetic inspiration (=which inspires someone to write poetry)Poetic inspiration can come from many sources.
Examples from the Corpus
inspiration• Inspiration came to him as he started to write for the second time.• Of course! If he thinks it was his idea in the first place, he's bound to agree. What an inspiration!• In that instant, he had a flash of inspiration: he and Tom would try and rescue Frankie themselves.• Where exactly did you get the inspiration for the movie?source of inspiration• It thus became part of the local heritage and continued as a source of inspiration.• Yet the very fact of taking action was undoubtedly a source of inspiration.• They are just an endless source of inspiration and excitement.• Looking to heroes of the past is a familiar source of inspiration.• Magazines and window shopping are a good source of inspiration.• The immediate source of inspiration was much more modern - it was Beethoven.• In fact, Beaton suggested, the screen had become practically their only source of inspiration.• Dreams, of course, are a rich source of inspiration and guidance, as well as excellent training in thinking in metaphor.inspiration for/behind• Many younger academics will use this book as a springboard and an inspiration for their own work in the field.• This is an uplifting story of triumph by a black woman who overcame adversity and became an inspiration for millions.• Scientists noticed discoveries, apparently irrelevant to their work, which contained an inspiration for solving some current problems of their own.• She is a keen skier and wears a jacket with skiers on the back which gave her inspiration for her design.• But Hashim also provided inspiration for everyone else to follow.• Use the above image as the inspiration for any one or more of the following tasks: 1.• You are not only desirable but you have become the inspiration for many of his most successful designs.• Some of the inspiration for this move came from botanists who had travelled to the tropics and other exotic locations. 