instill

verb

in·​still in-ˈstil How to pronounce instill (audio)
instilled; instilling; instills
Synonyms of instillnext

transitive verb

1
: to impart gradually
instilling a love of learning in children
2
: to cause to enter drop by drop
instill medication into the infected eye
instillation
ˌin(t)-stə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce instill (audio)
-(ˌ)sti-
noun
instiller
in-ˈsti-lər How to pronounce instill (audio)
noun
instillment
in-ˈstil-mənt How to pronounce instill (audio)
noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of instill in a Sentence

a charismatic leader who instilled in his followers a passionate commitment to the cause
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Colleges and universities are the perfect place to instill these life lessons. — Olivia Antigua, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 This racist targeting serves to instill fear in pro-Palestine activists as well as a warning to others. — William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025 In those documents, West discussed not only how to conduct experiments to implant false memories, instill specific mental disorders, and induce trance states, but also how to hide them. — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025 The district argued the possibility of immigration raids instilled deep fear in students and their parents. — Jessica Seaman, The Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for instill

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of instill was in the 15th century

Rhymes for instill

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Browse Nearby Words

instill
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Cite this Entry

“Instill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instill. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

instill

verb
in·​still in-ˈstil How to pronounce instill (audio)
: to gradually cause to feel or have
instill a love of music
instillation
ˌin(t)-stə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce instill (audio)
noun
instiller noun

Medical Definition

instill

transitive verb
in·​still in-ˈstil How to pronounce instill (audio)
instilled; instilling
: to cause to enter especially drop by drop
instill medication into the infected eye

More from Merriam-Webster on instill

Nglish: Translation of instill for Spanish Speakers

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