Inspiring vs. Inspirational

Right now, we're gonna learn all there is about the slight differences and similarities between 'inspiring' and 'inspirational'. Wanna come in?

"Inspiring" vs. "Inspirational" in English

What Is Their Main Difference?

These words are both related to how stimulating and motivating something/someone is. However, we mainly use 'inspiring' when the result is that someone feels motivated, whereas, 'inspirational' is more about the purpose of something.

Differences

As I stated above, we mainly use 'inspiring' when we want to indicate that something/someone really motivated us in a particular subject. Look at the examples below:

In fact, I find his paintings to be quite inspiring.

Mom, I don't really need an inspiring speech right now.

'Inspirational', on the other hand, is more about how one aims at something to be 'inspiring'. The audience might not necessarily be motivated by it, but the intention behind it is to be 'inspirational'. Take a look at the examples below:

The director was in fact trying to shape an inspirational personality.

James declared that the billboard must be inspirational.

Similarities

Both refer to motivation and how something can motivate another human being. Check out the following examples:

She had planned on delivering an inspirational speech, but she messed it up.

I never thought a movie could be this inspiring until I watched 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'.

Are They Interchangeable?

Although they are both used in the same context, they cannot be used interchangeably. 'Inspiring' deals more with the result, whereas, 'inspirational' is more about the intention behind something. Compare:

✓ I think this episode was inspiring.

X I think this episode was inspirational.

Comments

(0)
Loading Recaptcha...
Share on :

Recommended

Ill vs. Sick

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
In this lesson, we're gonna learn all there is about the differences and similarities between 'ill' and 'sick'. Can you tell? Well, c'mon.

Into vs. In to

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
Let's work on some confusing grammatical pairs. If you're still interested in expanding your knowledge and improving your language proficiency, join me.

Illness vs. Disease

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
In this lesson, we're about to learn about all the differences and similarities between these two words. If you're still interested in learning more, join me.

Inquiry vs. Enquiry

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
Ladies and gentlemen, this time we're gonna delve into the differences and similarities between 'inquiry' and 'enquiry'. Well, what are you waiting for, then?

Injured vs. Hurt

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
I'm pretty sure you've come across these two terms, haven't you? Well, if you're wondering what their differences are, I'm here to teach you. C'mon.

Immigration vs. Migration

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
Now, I've decided to focus on the differences and similarities between these two words. Have you encountered any of them before? Well, why don't you join me?
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app