inspiration

noun

Definition of inspirationnext
1
as in motivation
something that arouses action or activity She traveled cross-country seeking inspiration for her next book. He credits his mother as his inspiration for becoming a social worker.

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2
as in creativity
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others They were a group of young artists filled with inspiration.

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3
as in uplift
a feeling of ease from grief or trouble The return of summer brought with it a new sense of inspiration.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inspiration The cuisine was also noteworthy, a generous choice of cocktails, wines, and cuisine with hints of contemporary English inspiration, while avoiding being British stodgy. — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026 But Wallace uses this hindrance as inspiration for creative ways of translating King’s writing to the small screen. — Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026 For the sake of inspiration, The Studio welcomed any and all industry stories from the cast and crew. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026 Is the ballet pointe shoe the biggest source of inspiration for footwear designers right now? — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inspiration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inspiration
  1. motivation
  2. creativity
  3. uplift
  4. encouragement
  5. imagination
  6. comfort
  7. impetus
  8. relief
Noun
  • The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 ranks EI skills like resilience, flexibility, agility, leadership, social influence, motivation, and self-awareness as among the top ten most desirable skills.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Whisper Man director James Ashcroft explains the motivations of the film’s serial killer antagonist.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of motivation
Noun
  • Additionally, neurodivergent team members often bring high levels of creativity, problem-solving skills, and resilience under pressure.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Cole did worry that curators might overemphasize the diagnosis, that King would no longer be an artist but an autistic artist, and therefore a symbol of something—resilience, perhaps, or liberation through creativity.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of creativity
Noun
  • Sarma said Wall Street broadly expects an inflection in returns on AI investments around 2028, leading to an uplift in revenue, earnings and cash flow.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • According to the study, the resulting uplift would have created steep terrain and high ground that could be intensely eroded over long periods.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of uplift
Noun
  • Angela recalled him providing clothing, shoes and money to people experiencing homelessness, along with the words of encouragement that came naturally to him.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As captured by a parent, a note that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sent to its graduates includes kind words and encouragement from the star.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of encouragement
Noun
  • Thematic methodologies have been one of the downfalls of contemporary museology (and art history) generally, a crisis of collective memory and the historical imagination overall.
    — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Most people carry extraordinary stories worth telling, and raw imagination is rarely the limiting factor.
    — Coco Mao, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of imagination
Noun
  • Some help surgeons operate with greater precision, while others disinfect rooms, transport supplies, assist patients during rehabilitation, or provide comfort to people who are distressed.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Quince Italian Leather Glove Ballet Flats were designed with comfort in mind.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of comfort
Noun
  • The impetus was Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which contains gory scenes that are definitely too intense for young kids but more appropriate for teens, and thus, the PG-13 rating was born.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The maintenance needed on the 368,000 miles of roads in America’s national forests was one impetus for the Roadless Rule in 2001.
    — Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of impetus
Noun
  • Taylor pitched a career-high 2 2/3 scoreless relief innings and was credited with the win as the Sox defeated the Twins 7-4 in front of 28,140.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Trent Harris, Carson Seymour and Ryan Walker combined for four scoreless innings of relief.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of relief

Browse Nearby Words

inspects
inspiration
inspirational
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Cite this Entry

“Inspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inspiration. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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