Meaning & use
inject
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Meanings
verbtransitivemedical
To put a liquid, especially a drug, into a person or animal using a needle.
Grammar: Takes an object: inject a drug; often followed by 'into' or 'with'.
Patterns
- inject something into someone
- inject someone with something
The nurse injected the vaccine into his arm.
She was injected with a painkiller before the operation.
Doctors inject insulin into patients with diabetes.
verbtransitive
To add a quality, feeling, or resource to something.
Grammar: Often used figuratively: inject humor into a speech.
Patterns
- inject something into something
- inject new life into something
The comedian injected humor into the serious discussion.
The government injected money into the struggling economy.
She injected enthusiasm into the team with her pep talk.
verbtransitivetechnical
To introduce a substance or quality into a machine or system.
Grammar: Used with fuel, steam, etc., into engines or pipes.
Patterns
- inject fuel into an engine
- inject steam into a pipe
The engine injects fuel directly into the cylinder.
Steam is injected into the pipes to clean them.
Word forms
| third person singular | injects |
|---|---|
| past tense | injected |
| past participle | injected |
| -ing form | injecting |
Common combinations
- inject into
- The doctor injected the medicine into her arm.
- inject with
- The patient was injected with a sedative.
- inject humor into
- He tried to inject humor into the meeting.
- inject funds into
- The company injected funds into the new project.
- inject new life into
- The new manager injected new life into the department.
Synonyms and how they differ
- administer
- More formal and general; can mean giving medicine by any method, not just injection.
- infuse
- Often used for adding a quality gradually; 'inject' suggests a more direct or sudden addition.
- introduce
- General word for bringing something in; 'inject' is more specific and often implies force or energy.
Opposites
Word family
- injection noun
- The act of injecting, or the substance injected.
- injector noun
- A device that injects fluid, especially fuel into an engine.
Commonly confused: inject or eject?
inject vs eject
'Eject' means to force something out, while 'inject' means to force something in.
Practice
The nurse _____ the medication into the patient's arm.
Choose one answer.
'Injected' means put liquid into the body with a needle. 'Ejected' means forced out, 'projected' means estimated or thrown forward, and 'objected' means expressed disagreement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inject”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.