aspiring

adjective

aspir·​ing ə-ˈspī-riŋ How to pronounce aspiring (audio)
Synonyms of aspiringnext
: desiring and working to achieve a particular goal : having aspirations to attain a specified profession, position, etc.
an aspiring actor [=a person who aspires to be and is trying to become an actor]
an aspiring novelist

Examples of aspiring in a Sentence

an aspiring young pianist eager to win the prestigious competition
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.
Other aspiring politicians were ready to get down to brass tacks. Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026 Ferlinghetti, who had not yet adopted his immigrant father’s original name, was an aspiring painter, poet, and freelance art critic. Gioia Woods, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026 Drawing some inspiration from real life, Romeo plays an aspiring rapper who's in a band with his siblings—played by Erica O'Keith, Noel Callahan and Zachary Isaiah Williams—and his father, a record producer tries to aid them through the process. Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026 Diané's Jay-Den arrived in Starfleet Academy as an aspiring medical officer, which inherently feels at odds with the brutalism and warrior code of Klingon culture. Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aspiring

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aspiring was in 1788

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aspiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspiring. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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