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

Today, Indiana is the national champion, and its program is the type of destination that a player from, say a UNT, aspires to play for. — Mac Engel september 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026

Trump’s business acumen is also admired among those who aspire to wealth, said Tendai Marima in Foreign Policy. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 2026

There’s no better way to add a jolt of prestige to an aspiring Oscar vehicle than the sight of its stars, bedecked in all their finery, arriving on the Lido by water taxi in the manner of conquering heroes. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026

Each Grace represented one aspect of this virtuous cycle, and in their totality, an ideal for society to aspire toward. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 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