Inspired denotes having been mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. It also describes something that has been caused by a particular influence or motivation. In use, it conveys a sense of lively motivation or elevated, imaginative energy that prompts action or expression. (2-4 sentences, ~60 words)
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"Her speech was inspired by the poet’s verses, and the audience felt moved."
"The painting is inspired by the northern lights, with swirling greens and purples."
"Her performance was inspired by years of study and practice, showing remarkable confidence."
"The team's strategy was inspired by recent research and market data."
Inspired comes from Middle English inspiren, from Old French inspirer, ultimately from Latin inspirare, meaning to breathe into, inspire. The Latin root spirare means to breathe, while inpi- is related to in- “into” and spirare “to breathe.” The sense evolution began with the idea of breathing life into something through spirit or influence, leading to “to fill with the urge or creativity” by the 16th–17th centuries. In English, the word originally carried connotations of divine breath or spiritual influence, then broadened to more secular senses of motivation and creative stimulation. First known use in English is attested in the late 16th century, with canonical literary instances appearing in the 17th century. Over time, it also took on adjectives like inspired to describe a state or thing that has received such motivation, and the passive form inspired by, though now less common, appears in historical rhetoric. Today, inspired commonly surfaces in contexts of art, invention, leadership, and persuasion, carrying nuanced implications of genuine influence or a breakthrough moment.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "inspired" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "inspired"
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Pronounce as /ɪnˈspaɪərd/ in US and UK. Start with /ɪn/ (short i as in in), stress the second syllable /ˈspaɪər/ where /aɪ/ is the long eye diphthong and /ər/ is a rhotacized ending in American speech, giving the final /d/ as a sharp alveolar stop. For Australian, you’ll hear /ɪnˈspaɪəəd/ with a lighter rhotic or non-rhotic coloring and a slightly centralized final vowel before the /d/. Tip: ensure the /sp/ cluster remains compact, and the /ɪn/ is light before the stressed /ˈspaɪər/. Audio reference: use a standard English pronunciation resource to hear the /ɪnˈspaɪərd/ as described.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress as in in-SPIRED vs in-spired; always stress the second syllable. (2) Deleting the /r/ in rhotic accents; ensure you pronounce /ɹ/ or its equivalent; in non-rhotic, the /ɹ/ can be reduced before a vowel but here it’s part of the nucleus. (3) Flattening the /aɪ/ diphthong to a short /ɪ/; keep the clear /aɪ/ glide. Corrections: emphasize /ˈspaɪər/ with a distinct /aɪ/ nucleus, articulate the /ɹ/ or the rhotic vowel softly, and end with a crisp /d/.
US: rhotic /ɹ/ pronounced in all positions; /ɪnˈspaɪɚd/ with a liquid coda. UK: non-rhotic or weakly rhotic; final /d/ clear, but /ɹ/ often less pronounced; vowels can be a bit tighter in /ɪ/ and /ə/ for the ending. AU: similar to UK with broader vowel quality; /ɪnˈspaiəd/ or /ɪnˈspaiəɹd/ depending on speaker; expect a slightly more centralized vowel before the /d/.
Two main challenges: the diphthong /aɪ/ requires a smooth glide into /ə/ or /ər/ depending on accent, and the coda /ɹ/ or lack of it affects rhoticity; keeping the stress on the second syllable without releasing into a weak ending can be tricky. Also, linking to the following word in fluent speech can blur the final /d/; practice isolating the syllable and then bridging to a following vowel to maintain crisp articulation.
In fast connected speech, you may hear a subtle /ɪnˈspaɪərd/ with a reduced vowel in the first syllable and a quick transition from /ˈspaɪ/ to /ɹd/; some speakers may elide the /j/ in /spaɪər/ slightly, producing something like /ˈspaɪɚd/. However, carefully maintain the /ɪn/ and the secondary stressed nucleus to avoid becoming indistinct.
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