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

Fine Arts Theatre Endowment to give back to Southwest Minnesota State and provide scholarships to aspiring thespians. —Dennis Romero, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025

The victims were identified as Ella Cook, a vice president of the College Republicans from Birmingham, Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an aspiring neurosurgeon from Virginia. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025

In other words, aspiring to live more slowly does not necessarily mean foregoing ambition or hard work. —Jana Pollack, Parents, 28 Dec. 2025

Six years older than Bardot, Vadim, an aspiring filmmaker, would become a love interest to the future actress and play a major role in her rise to movie stardom. —Lee Smith, CNN Money, 28 Dec. 2025

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