To save this word, you'll need to log in.
instilled; instilling; instills
Definition of instill
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
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Semantic Drift Quiz
- Which of the following was once a synonym for fun?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share instill
Time Traveler for instill
The first known use of instill was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century