inspiring

inspiring — adjective

1. able to fill someone with the desire or enthusiasm to take action or achieve som

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

able to fill someone with the desire or enthusiasm to take action or achieve something

Example

The head teacher's speech was so inspiring that many students signed up to volunteer.

so + adjective + that clause for cause-effect

Priya found her grandmother's stories about the war deeply inspiring.

find + object + adjective complement

Common collocations
  • inspiring speech
  • inspiring story
  • inspiring leader
  • inspiring music
  • truly inspiring
  • deeply inspiring
Synonyms
  • uplifting

    emphasises emotional lift or joy; slightly softer tone

  • motivating

    focuses on spurring specific action rather than general admiration

  • encouraging

    involves giving hope or confidence; often used for personal support

  • stimulating

    suggests intellectual excitement rather than emotional drive

Antonyms
  • discouraging

    the opposite effect — causes loss of confidence or hope

  • demotivating

    removes the will to act; more informal and modern

Grammar Patterns

be + inspiring

find + object + inspiring

so + inspiring + that

Usage Note

Commonly used with intensifiers such as 'so', 'truly', 'deeply', and 'very'. Can appear in a dummy-it construction ('It is inspiring to…') or with a that-clause to show result.

Common Mistakes

The story was very inspired.
The story was very inspiring.
'inspired' describes how someone feels; 'inspiring' describes the thing that causes the feeling.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe a positive effect on a person's feelings or actions, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Inspiring' is the broadest — it can apply to a speech, a person, a piece of art, or an achievement that stirs someone to aim higher. 'Uplifting' focuses on the emotional lift itself (e.g., 'an uplifting melody'), often with warmth rather than a call to action. 'Encouraging' is more personal and supportive, like a teacher who tells a nervous student 'you can do it'. 'Motivating' is practical and goal-oriented — a fitness coach's talk that makes you go to the gym. 'Stimulating' is intellectual, describing something that challenges the mind (e.g., 'a stimulating debate'). For everyday usage: a leader's story can be inspiring, while a mentor's words are encouraging and a boss's deadline speech is motivating.

inspiring ↗upliftingencouraging ↗motivating ↗stimulating

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • find something inspiring
  • be inspiring to watch
  • be inspiring to hear

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'inspirare' (to breathe into), formed from 'in-' (into) + 'spirare' (to breathe). The word entered Middle English through Old French 'inspirer'. Originally it described a divine or spiritual force breathing life or insight into a person, but over time it broadened to any experience that fills someone with the urge to create or achieve.