aspire

verb

as·​pire ə-ˈspī(-ə)r 

aspired; aspiring

intransitive verb

1

: to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal

She aspired to a career in medicine.

2

: ascend, soar

aspirer noun

Synonyms of aspire

• intend
• plan
• hope
• mean
• aim
• wish
• go

Examples of aspire in a Sentence

aspire to great deeds, and you have a better chance of doing good deeds

a tower aspiring towards the heavens

Recent Examples on the Web

Besler, who once aspired to little more than high school basketball tournaments and indoor soccer in Kansas City, became the first Kansas City kid to reach the World Cup. —The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026

The popular Twitch streamer planned to hold in-person auditions for Streamer University, his bootcamp for aspiring content creators, including stops in New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 17 June 2026

Policies of the current federal administration and in certain states have imperiled our global leadership and prospects for the next generations of aspiring scholars of science with the potential for significant damage to our nation’s public health and biomedical and industrial leadership. —Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 16 June 2026

Thomas, for her part, belongs more to that evolving cadre of performer—the internet personality-comedian-aspiring actress—than to the artist. —Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 16 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French aspirer, from Latin aspirare, literally, to breathe upon, from ad- + spirare to breathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for aspire

• admire
• afire
• backfire
• esquire
• expire
• haywire
• hellfire
• inquire
• inspire
• newswire
• perspire
• rehire

Kids Definition

aspire

verb

as·​pire ə-ˈspī(ə)r 

aspired; aspiring

: to work to get something high or great

aspirer noun