inspiration Hear it!

inspiration Definition

in·spi·ra·tion (in′spə rās̸hən)

noun

  1. a breathing in, as of air into the lungs; inhaling
  2. an inspiring or being inspired mentally or emotionally
    1. an inspiring influence; any stimulus to creative thought or action
    2. an inspired idea, action, etc.
  3. a prompting of something to be written or said
  4. Theol. a divine influence upon human beings, as that resulting in the writing of the Scriptures

Etymology: ME inspiracioun < OFr inspiration < LL inspiratio

inspiration Synonyms

inspiration

n.

  1. An idea

    notion, hunch, flash, revelation; see impulse 2, thought 2.

  2. A stimulant to creative activity

    stimulus, spur, motivation, influence; see incentive.

inspiration Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • spirit: Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, takes special care in enumerating them " first apostles; secondly prophets; thirdly teachers.
  • poet: The information thus gathered was the material of the historian, and the inspiration of the poet.

Preposition: from

  • landscape: Born and trained in Cheshire, he draws his inspiration from the many landscapes, changing skies and wildlife of the Orkney Islands.

Converse of object

  • draw: In such times where from, do you draw the inspiration to go on?
  • derive: Some British artists derived inspiration for their work from non-European art.
  • seek: Others sought inspiration from the old masters, exotic or poetic subjects.
  • provide: More recently the black pine provided inspiration for Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy.
  • find: You may also find inspiration for a research topic in our list of past PhD Theses.
  • prove: Yet my car crash was to prove the inspiration for my business.

Preposition: for

  • addition: Fans of the dolls have actually become the inspiration for additions to the Groovy line, says Roger Bildsten, president of Manhattan Toy.
  • artist: Great inspiration for the adventurous floral artist, with plenty of pictures of new ideas and techniques.
  • poet: For those of a literary bent, this area has provided inspirations for the poets Thomas Gray, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
  • painting: If ever you are looking for inspiration for a painting, you need go no further... ... ... ... .
  • thousand: Instructors Alan Cameron-Duff and Annabel Fawcus apprenticed with Cob Cottage Company, the inspiration for thousands of natural builders around the world.

Adjective modifier

  • divine: Her wisdom derived from Plato, Plotinus and divine inspiration.
  • artistic: All these features make London a source of artistic inspiration.
  • plenary: In this sense, we can have no objection to verbal or plenary inspiration.
  • prophetic: The claim of John the Baptist to prophetic inspiration broke a silence that had lasted for more than three hundred years.
  • biblical: The Holy Spirit and Illumination The death of John the Apostle brought to an end the period of Biblical inspiration.
  • creative: Whilst Benjamin attempts to rediscover creative inspiration, Rashid embarks on a journey to find his real father.
inspiration Quotes

Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration.

—Edison,Thomas Alva

Poets are the hierophants of an unapprehended inspiration; the mirrors of the gigantic shadows which futuritycastsuponthepresent; thewordswhichexpress what they understand not; the trumpets which sing to battle, and feel not what they inspire; the influence which is moved not, but moves. Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.

—Shelley, Percy Bysshe

   My sole inspiration is a telephone call from a director.

—Porter, Cole

All scripture isgiven by inspiration of God, and is profitable of doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

—Bible (NewTestament)

I hate everything approaching temperamental inspiration,'sacred fire'and all those attributes of genius which serve only as cloaks for untidy minds.

—Mondrian, Piet

Browse dictionary entries near inspiration

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