Synonyms of inspiration

inspiration

noun

1

as in motivation

something that arouses action or activity

She traveled cross-country seeking inspiration for her next book.

He credits his mother as his inspiration for becoming a social worker.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• motivation
• encouragement
• impetus
• incentive
• stimulation
• reason
• stimulus
• inducement
• excitement
• cause
• momentum
• spur
• spark
• fuel
• induction
• provocation
• stimulant
• prod
• boost
• influence
• instigation
• goad
• yeast
• impulse
• jog
• galvanization
• incitement
• mechanism
• tool
• ingredient
• incitation
• antecedent
• factor
• occasion
• determinant
• catalyzer
• lure
• expedient
• enticement

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disincentive
• counterincentive
• subduing

2

as in creativity

the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others

They were a group of young artists filled with inspiration.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• creativity
• imagination
• imaginativeness
• phantasy
• inventiveness
• ideation
• fantasy
• originality
• ingenuity
• brainstorming
• fertility
• resourcefulness
• invention
• fecundity
• brainstorm
• fancy
• contrivance
• versatility
• dream
• daydream
• illusion
• pipe dream
• fantasm
• visualization
• delusion
• mirage
• chimera
• hallucination
• figment
• phantasm
• mind's eye
• envisaging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• literalness
• literality

3

as in uplift

a feeling of ease from grief or trouble

The return of summer brought with it a new sense of inspiration.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• uplift
• comfort
• encouragement
• relief
• solace
• consolation
• happiness
• cheer
• reassurance
• assurance
• mitigation
• alleviation
• contentment
• assuagement
• gladness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• distress
• anguish
• cold comfort
• torture
• heartbreak
• heartache
• torment

Examples of inspiration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although the house had been stripped of its original interior detailing before Warren became its owner, the history of what had once been inside and its neighborhood’s bohemian artist past were major sources of inspiration for Lincoln’s design. —Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 11 Oct. 2024

Dolores Huerta has been an inspiration in my work as an attorney representing some of the most vulnerable members of our community. —Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 11 Oct. 2024

In Atlanta, corporate leaders discussed how to achieve diversity goals amid a public backlash, with Microsoft chief diversity officer Lindsay Ray-McIntyre taking inspiration from smaller companies. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024

Soon into his post-presidency, Carter took up a hammer for Habitat for Humanity, providing both labor and inspiration for the next four-and-a-half decades on work projects that bear his name. —Mark Updegrove, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2024