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

• intend
• plan
• hope
• mean
• aim
• wish
• go [chiefly Southern & Midland]

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

Moore, part of the crew that night, had grown up in the city’s avant-garde scene and wasn’t easily impressed by aspiring artists. —Eileen Finan, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Their take on the tabloid sensation follows Fleiss before trial, scrambling around Los Angeles trying to blackmail and leverage various connections to get the case dropped, with the help of an aspiring young writer named Jaclyn. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025

Harper and Lily are Gen Z teenagers, miles away from the rebellious rocker vibes of Lohan’s teenage Anna (Harper is a tomboy surfer, while Lily is an aspiring fashion designer). —Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025

Sofia Carson starred opposite Nicholas Galitzine in Netflix’s Purple Hearts, about an aspiring musician, Cassie, who struggles to buy insulin as a Type 1 diabetic. —Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 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