What does inject mean?
Inject means to put a substance or material into something, usually by means of a syringe, nozzle, or similar mechanism. Its most familiar use is medical: a clinician may inject a vaccine, medication, or other substance into a patient's body. The word also applies to machines and containers, as in injecting fuel into an engine. Figuratively, people inject ideas, humor, energy, or criticism into conversations and performances, often suggesting an addition that enlivens or changes the situation. In all these uses, inject conveys deliberate, direct introduction rather than gradual or incidental occurrence. It is a common, versatile verb in formal, technical, and informal English, and its vivid underlying idea comes from the Latin word for “throwing in.”
To introduce a substance, material, or idea into a body, container, system, or discussion.
"The technician injected the solution into the pipeline."
Medical and technical uses are precise; figurative uses commonly describe enlivening or changing a conversation or performance.
An act of introducing a substance or material into a body, container, or system; also, the substance or material introduced.
"The injection provided rapid relief from the pain."
In medicine, an injection is an administration of a substance by syringe; in engineering, the term may refer to the system or act of introducing fuel or another fluid.
The plural is used for separate acts of introducing a substance and for individual doses or administrations.
"The patient received two injections before the symptoms eased."
From the Latin for “throw in,” inject has become a modern shorthand for putting anything—from medicine to fresh ideas—directly into a system.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inject come from?
The English word inject comes from Latin injectus, the past participle of injicere, meaning “to throw in” or “to put in.” The verb was formed from in- (“in”) and jacere (“to throw”), and entered English in the 16th century. Its relatives project, reject, eject, and deject share the same Latin root involving throwing or casting.
Related word forms
How inject is actually used
In medical and technical contexts, inject usually describes deliberately placing a substance into a body, machine, or system. In figurative use, it can suggest adding something lively, persuasive, or disruptive.
Easily confused with inject
Injecting means putting a substance into something, whereas infecting means causing it to become contaminated with a disease-causing organism.