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

With target audiences no longer aspiring to traditional markers of status and eschewing the quest for an excessive abundance of material goods, this burgeoning movement is impacting how marketers, advertisers and PR professionals talk about brand value. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

Instead, viewers online have started questioning the real-life ages of the series’ two leads, Ella Bright (who plays aspiring songwriter Hannah Wells) and Belmont Cameli (who plays college hockey star Garrett Graham). —Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 May 2026

And so the Lord imposed a panoply of tongues, thereby deterring the creation of any new technology that might aspire to divine power and glory. —Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026

Featuring odes to such heartland institutions as the Tennessee Titans and Walmart, the latter depicted as a holy mecca where any problem can be solved, The Breadwinner aspires to John Hughes family-style humor without any of the genuine hilarity that filmmaker produced. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 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