INSPIRING Synonyms: 159 Similar and Opposite Words

inspiring 1 of 2

adjective

in-ˈspī-riŋ

Definition of inspiring

as in breathtaking

causing great emotional or mental stimulation an inspiring idea for a national program in which young people would commit themselves to a year of community service

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

inspiring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of inspire

as in encouraging

to fill with courage or strength of purpose the rousing campaign speech inspired everyone to get out the vote

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in eliciting

to draw out (something hidden, latent, or reserved) what inspired that comment?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in educating

to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding great works of visual art can inspire us in ways that the written word often cannot

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 inspiring

Adjective

Established in 2016 by physicist Stephen Hawking and Starmus, the award honors those who have gone above and beyond to make science accessible, engaging and inspiring. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Paul shared a video of Mitte sharing an inspiring message of strength and the importance of mental health. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Verb

The songs used a mix of happy hardcore and trance, inspiring him to start producing his own music on his laptop. — Charles Moss, SPIN, 14 Oct. 2026 When a filmmaker tells a story based on real events, especially ones that are inspiring or heroic, there’s always a risk of hagiography. — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inspiring

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inspiring

Adjective

Desperate for a rebound after his worst finish of the Chase, the defending series champion expanded his points lead by a wide margin with a breathtaking rally from 11th to first on the final lap.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Words fail, however, when attempting to describe the breathtaking view.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of breathtaking

Verb

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week Hasan’s execution would be livestreamed, eliciting pushback from Democrats, Republicans and religious advocates about the idea.

— Corbin Bolies, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Musk's comment against Ambani caused a political stir in India, eliciting a response from India's leader of opposition, Rahul Gandhi, who has consistently alleged that the government is being influenced by powerful businessmen in India.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of eliciting

Verb

As such, continued awareness of ongoing ICE activities and educating people about their rights is core to the NWI Community Response Team’s mission.

— Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Faculty are chosen based on their track record of educating Black students.

— Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of educating

Adjective

Perhaps less exciting is the fact her failures are more than just the flawed Edison machine.

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
The radio series takes in interviews with academic hormone specialists, including the team at Imperial College in London who are conducting some of the most exciting and innovative research in this area.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of exciting

Verb

And invariably, evoking the greats is the quickest way to cut yourself down to size.

— Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Designers also livened up traditional looks with new floral appliqués, swishy pailettes, and sparkling jewelry details, evoking new playful textures across the fall 2027 collections.

— Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of evoking

Adjective

An interesting detail is that four ESSMs can fit into one compatible launch cell.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
That leaves an interesting question about how cities should handle future confrontations between pedestrians and commercial robots.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of interesting

Adjective

And while a country pivot for Boyz II Men is plenty intriguing in and of itself, the 2027 album will also be the trio’s first in 10 years since 2017’s Under the Streetlight.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2026
Still, there's something intriguing about the idea of a child becoming an investor before graduating from high school.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of intriguing

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inspires

inspiring

inspirit

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Style

“Inspiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inspiring. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of inspiring

adjective

verb

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