inspire

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence.
2. v. To fill with enlivening or exalting emotion: hymns that inspire the congregation; an artist who was inspired by Impressionism.
3. v. To stimulate to action; motivate: a sales force that was inspired by the prospect of a bonus.
4. v. To affect or touch: The falling leaves inspired her with sadness.
5. v. To draw forth; elicit or arouse: a teacher who inspired admiration and respect.
6. v. To be the cause or source of; bring about: an invention that inspired many imitations.
7. v. To draw in (air) by inhaling.
8. v. Archaic To breathe on.
9. v. Archaic To breathe life into.
10. v. To stimulate energies, ideals, or reverence: a leader who inspires by example.
11. v. To inhale.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To breathe in; draw into the lungs; inhale: as, to inspire pure air: opposed to expire.
2. To breathe into; infuse by or as if by breathing.
3. Hence To actuate or influence; animate; affect, rouse, or control by an infused, animating, or exalting influence.
4. Specifically To guide or control by divine influence; instruct or infuse with spiritual or divine knowledge.
5. To inhale air; draw air into the lungs: opposed to expire.
6. To blow; blow in.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by inspiration.
2. v. transitive To infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence; to fill with what animates, enlivens or exalts; to communicate inspiration to.
3. v. intransitive To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale.
4. v. To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.
5. v. archaic (transitive) To breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate.
6. v. transitive To spread rumour indirectly.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate.
2. v. To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.
3. v. To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale; -- opposed to expire.
4. v. To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by inspiration.
5. v. To infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence; to fill with what animates, enlivens, or exalts; to communicate inspiration to.
6. v. To draw in breath; to inhale air into the lungs; -- opposed to expire.
7. v. obsolete To breathe; to blow gently.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. supply the inspiration for
2. v. spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts
3. v. draw in (air)
4. v. heighten or intensify
5. v. fill with revolutionary ideas
6. v. serve as the inciting cause of