aspiring

1 of 2

adjective

aspir·​ing ə-ˈspī-riŋ 

: desiring and working to achieve a particular goal : having aspirations to attain a specified profession, position, etc.

an aspiring actor [=a person who aspires to be and is trying to become an actor]

an aspiring novelist

aspiring

2 of 2

present participle of aspire

Synonyms of aspiring

Adjective

• ambitious

Examples of aspiring in a Sentence

Adjective

an aspiring young pianist eager to win the prestigious competition

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Erlichman discovered Streisand and help guide her from an aspiring New York nightclub singer into a global star, serving as her manager for more than 60 years. — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 1 Nov. 2026

Police officers arrested a Libertarian candidate for the North Carolina Senate on Monday after an hourslong armed standoff with the aspiring politician. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026

The notions of a coaching tree and writing being open to everyone are in answer to Terrell’s own experience growing up in Kansas City as an aspiring writer. — Anne Kniggendorf, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026

In more recent years, the go-to option for an aspiring writer has been starting a newsletter of her own, often on Substack, a digital platform that launched in 2017 to allow writers to charge money for their writing. — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1788, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for aspiring

• acquiring
• admiring
• conspiring
• enquiring
• expiring
• inspiring
• perspiring
• rehiring
• retiring
• untiring
• firing
• hiring