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inspirer

inspire

verb an-spee-REH Less Common

Origin: Latin inspirare

Also means

breathe in (inhale)

Usage Note

Inspirer covers both physical inhalation (inspirer profondément = to breathe in deeply) and the figurative sense of inspiring someone creatively or emotionally. The reflexive s'inspirer de means 'to draw inspiration from.' The noun inspiration exists in both senses as well.

Examples

"Ce paysage l'a inspirée pour écrire son roman."

Natural Translation

This landscape inspired her to write her novel.

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