Synonyms of aspiring

aspiring 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈspī-riŋ 

as in ambitious

having a strong desire for personal advancement

an aspiring young pianist eager to win the prestigious competition

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambitious
• go-getting
• eager
• pushing
• ardent
• energetic
• diligent
• enterprising
• hard-driving
• avid
• motivated
• industrious
• hungry
• dynamic
• self-seeking
• hustling
• determined
• venturesome
• spirited
• competitive
• driving
• impassioned
• venturous
• aggressive
• scrappy
• opportunistic
• animated
• competing
• rival
• lively
• vigorous
• pretentious
• keen
• assertive
• gung ho
• high-flying
• pushy
• overambitious
• raring
• self-assertive
• rivalrous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disinterested
• indifferent
• unambitious
• uninterested
• casual
• apathetic
• ambitionless
• unenthusiastic
• unexcited
• easygoing
• lackadaisical
• lazy
• lukewarm
• shiftless
• halfhearted
• uneager
• listless
• tepid
• sluggish
• lethargic
• spiritless
• lazyish
• unassertive
• unaggressive

aspiring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of aspire

1

as in planning

to have in mind as a purpose or goal

aspire to great deeds, and you have a better chance of doing good deeds

Synonyms & Similar Words

• planning
• intending
• looking
• hoping
• aiming
• contemplating
• wishing
• going
• trying
• meaning
• proposing
• designing
• purporting
• calculating
• attempting
• allowing
• dreaming
• striving
• meditating
• struggling
• purposing
• considering
• figuring on
• endeavoring
• pondering
• plotting
• debating
• achieving
• accomplishing
• performing
• effecting
• scheming
• executing
• mulling (over)

2

as in rising

to move or extend upward

a tower aspiring towards the heavens

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rising
• ascending
• climbing
• soaring
• lifting
• mounting
• arising
• thrusting
• uprising
• upping
• sloping
• towering
• upthrusting
• upturning
• leaning
• uprearing
• tilting
• elevating
• surging
• inclining
• uplifting
• scaling
• raising
• boosting
• surmounting
• topping
• zooming
• tipping
• cresting
• upraising
• taking off
• ballooning
• upheaving
• listing
• reclining
• blasting off
• slanting
• canting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• descending
• falling (off)
• declining
• dropping
• plunging
• dipping
• sliding
• sinking
• diving
• plummeting
• nose-diving

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of aspiring

Adjective

In 1978, just as Deng Xiaoping was setting China on the course of reforms, an aspiring scientist named Yi Rao started college. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Frank Urrutia, whose son Ezekiel Urrutia died in the January 2025 crash on Florida's Turnpike near the Red Road exit, says his son had a bright future ahead of him as a paramedic and aspiring firefighter. — Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Verb

Meanwhile, what fascinates aspiring neurologist Makenzie Stovall is the idea that AI is trying to emulate the brain — an organ whose inner workings continue to leave researchers dumbfounded. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Anyone can start posting online for little more than the cost of a smartphone, but there’s an appetite among aspiring influencers who will pay six figures to learn how to build a brand, attract an audience, and monetize their content. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 31 July 2026