inspirational

adjective

Definition of inspirationalnext
as in inspiring
causing people to want to do or create something; giving inspiration an inspirational speaker Her courage is inspirational.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inspirational In the cockpit, Joe has written out inspirational messages and instructions for her and Cooper. — Emma Soren, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026 There is no requirement to turn it into a gift, a lesson or an inspirational performance for everyone watching. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 10 Aug. 2026 McGee has established himself as an inspirational figure because of his journey to overcome drug addiction. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 The star posted inspirational content highlighting her resilience through treatment, and also advocated for regular cancer screenings to help her followers detect potential illness early. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026 Remember, the key is to think about what tasks sound exciting or inspirational versus creating a list of must-accomplish to-dos. — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 4 Aug. 2026 Read More TopicsVogue Weddings Vogue Weddings An all-access invitation to the exceptional and inspirational, plus planning tips and advice. — Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 30 July 2026 Adank grew up in the area and has found the museum and garden both odd and inspirational. — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 30 July 2026 His beautiful work was an inspirational component of my own and so many other’s upbringing and adult life, as was his consistent kindness, support and advocacy. — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inspirational
  1. inspiring
  2. impressive
  3. exciting
  4. provocative
  5. motivational
Adjective
  • Stop asking whether your company's values sound inspiring and start asking whether those values remove options.
    — Brandon Shannon, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There’s nothing more inspiring — and dangerous — than the prodigal son hired to fix his old team.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of inspiring
Adjective
  • While not as showy or Instagram friendly, how Caminero has matured and improved overall at the plate actually may be more impressive.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
  • But the Big Ten has developed plenty of impressive atmospheres too, with Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Nebraska leading the way.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of impressive
Adjective
  • The Spanish royals’ Mallorca trip comes towards the end of an exciting summer, which saw the King, Queen and princesses travel to the United States to watch the Spanish national team win the 2026 World Cup.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Chilean duo’s latest only further establishes them as some of the most exciting makers of tangible, macabre visions on the world’s stage.
    — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of exciting
Adjective
  • The manager, Jordan Perry, whose theater has a history of provocative messaging, didn’t respond to Jewish Telegraphic Agency requests for comment.
    — Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Increasingly, the answer comes in the form of an intimacy coordinator — a role that Araki, long known for embracing provocative themes, employed for the first time on this project.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of provocative
Adjective
  • Pushing harder won't work, and neither will motivational messaging.
    — Ayaskant Sarangi, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • While his exhortation left off Brady’s signature profane intensifier, the motivational gambit remained explicit even in the absence of the familiar F-bomb.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of motivational

Browse Nearby Words

inspiration
inspirational
inspirations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inspirational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inspirational. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on inspirational

Nglish: Translation of inspirational for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gnomic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All