instill

verb in·still \ in-ˈstil \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

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Examples: instill in a Sentence

instilled; instilling; instills

transitive verb

1 : to cause to enter drop by drop

instill medication into the infected eye

2 : to impart gradually

instilling a love of learning in children

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instillation

play \ˌin(t)-stə-ˈlā-shən, -(ˌ)sti-\ noun

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instiller

play \in-ˈsti-lər\ noun

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instillment

play \in-ˈstil-mənt\ noun

See instill defined for English-language learners

See instill defined for kids

Examples of instill in a Sentence

a charismatic leader who instilled in his followers a passionate commitment to the cause

Recent Examples of instill from the Web

The warm response to Mary Lee marked a departure from the sheer terror instilled by a shark with the same iconic gray fin that in the 1970s became a universal symbol of impending doom.

— tommy rowan, Philly.com, "Irrational shark fear you can't escape at the Jersey Shore," 5 July 2018
The story of the war was instilled in me as something to keep telling so that history would never be repeated.

— marvin glassman, Jewish Journal, "Jewish students featured in 'Cabaret' production at FAU," 5 July 2018
Tinner also pointed to guys like Williams and junior sprinter Tyler Thomas as athletes who can help instill a new attitude in the Andrean track program.

— dave melton, Post-Tribune, "He's got next: Andrean junior Cameron Williams aims to be region's next state hurdles champ," 5 Apr. 2018
The luck of having loving and nurturing parents who raised you in a safe neighborhood and healthy environment, provided you with a high-quality K–12 education and instilled in you the values of personal responsibility.

— michael shermer, Scientific American, "Does Success Come Mostly from Talent, Hard Work—or Luck?," 1 Nov. 2017
That kind of hustle was instilled in me at a young age.

— bonnie vengrow, Good Housekeeping, "11 Women Share The Best Advice Their Grandmothers Ever Gave Them," 15 July 2017
This hazing re-instills fear of humans in the coyote, making these close encounters less likely.

— elena weissmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Why coyote sightings are so common in Milwaukee, and what to do if you see one," 18 June 2018
The bomb went off moments later, killing seven and instilling a belief in Hitler that he had been protected by divine Providence.

— darran anderson, The Atlantic, "The Cities That Never Existed," 17 June 2018
Gray attributes her successes to the confidence instilled by her coach and others around her.

— shaun goodwin, kansascity, "This St. James grad is doing it all at Stanford, and setting an example for KC girls, too," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'instill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of instill

Middle English, from Latin instillare, from in- + stillare to drip, from stilla drop

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

instill Synonyms

Synonyms

breed, enroot, implant, inculcate, infix, inseminate, plant, sow;

Related Words

drive, hammer, pound;

embed (also imbed), entrench (also intrench), fix, lodge, root;

imbue, infuse, ingrain (also engrain), inoculate, invest, steep, suffuse;

Synonym Discussion of instill

implant, inculcate, instill, inseminate, infix mean to introduce into the mind. implant implies teaching that makes for permanence of what is taught.

- implanted a love of reading in her students

inculcate implies persistent or repeated efforts to impress on the mind.

- tried to inculcate in him high moral standards

instill stresses gradual, gentle imparting of knowledge over a long period of time.

- instill traditional values in your children

inseminate applies to a sowing of ideas in many minds so that they spread through a class or nation.

- inseminated an unquestioning faith in technology

infix stresses firmly inculcating a habit of thought.

- infixed a chronic cynicism

INSTILL Defined for English Language Learners

instill

verb

: to gradually cause someone to have (an attitude, feeling, etc.)

INSTILL Defined for Kids

instill

verb in·still \ in-ˈstil \

instilled; instilling

: to put into the mind little by little

Patience with the ways of nature had been instilled in her by her father.
—Jean Craighead George, Julie of the Wolves

Medical Dictionary

instill

transitive verb in·still \ in-ˈstil \

instilled; instilling

: to cause to enter especially drop by drop

instill medication into the infected eye

Learn More about instill

See words that rhyme with instill Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for instill Spanish Central: Translation of instill Nglish: Translation of instill for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of instill for Arabic speakers

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instill

instillation

instiller

instillment

Examples of instill in a Sentence

Recent Examples of instill from the Web

Origin and Etymology of instill

instill Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of instill

INSTILL Defined for English Language Learners

instill

INSTILL Defined for Kids

instill

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instill

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