as in ambitious
having a strong desire for personal advancement
an aspiring young pianist eager to win the prestigious competition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
2
as in rising
to move or extend upward
a tower aspiring towards the heavens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of aspiring
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
Starring Dakota Johnson as an aspiring dancer who unwittingly finds herself surrounded by witches at an elite Berlin dance school, Guadagnino’s take is less Italian giallo and more an exercise in slowly creeping dread.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Mills enters the race at a strange moment — the government has been shut down for two weeks and Collins is among the aspiring dealmakers trying to figure out how to reopen it.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aspiring
Adjective
Starring opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, Chalamet is slated to play Marty Mauser (a role seemingly inspired by professional ping pong player Marty Reisman), who’s an aspiring ping-pong player with dreams of stardom.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
Starring Dakota Johnson as an aspiring dancer who unwittingly finds herself surrounded by witches at an elite Berlin dance school, Guadagnino’s take is less Italian giallo and more an exercise in slowly creeping dread.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
Willa became a fan favorite — the aspiring playwright who offers an outside perspective of the obscenely wealthy and manipulative Roy family.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Mills enters the race at a strange moment — the government has been shut down for two weeks and Collins is among the aspiring dealmakers trying to figure out how to reopen it.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aspiring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiring
Adjective
-
O'Connor does a great job of embodying the character of Mooney, who is not the ambitious criminal the film's title suggests.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In the moment that summarizes one of Good News’ thematic throughlines, Nobody is speaking to Seo Go-myung (Weak Hero Class 1’s Hong Kyung), an ambitious Air Force lieutenant who is as close to an audience surrogate as Good News gets.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Before a lunar landing mission is attempted, NASA is planning to launch four astronauts on its Artemis II mission in 2026 on a 10-day mission circling the moon.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Until a few months ago, rumors suggested that Samsung was planning to replace the Plus variant in the S26 lineup with the Edge.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Wealthier Americans have been assisted by rising house values, lucrative stock market returns and favorable credit, while lower- and middle-income buyers have faced tighter budgets and have been hit hard by rising inflation.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
20 Oct. 2025
-
With rising tuition, heavy student debt, and a shaky job market, more young workers are rethinking the four-year degree and turning to faster and cheaper routes to a steady career.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
His father took them to Las Vegas, intending not just to break the cycle of poverty but for the family to assimilate.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Duane swung the rifle around to his right hand, fully intending to fire a warning shot.—
Marguerite Reiss,
Outdoor Life,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When Manning signed with the Broncos during free agency in 2012, Thomas’ presence as a young, ascending receiver was an important part of the calculus.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The title theme’s steadily ascending line, mirroring the claustrophobic tension within the sub, became a signature motif.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When looking for reasons the Nuggets will win a championship, Braun belongs high on the checklist.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are 4-2 and are looking to become the first back-to-back NFC East champs in two decades, but the Commanders are 3-3, and the New York Giants moved to a surprising 2-4 after taking down the Eagles last week.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The barely there silhouette retails from $795 for core colorways, like Reinhart’s black pair, climbing to $950 for textured finishes like red, gold and green snakeskin.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
16 Oct. 2025
-
At an elementary school in southwest Boise, in the fall of 2020, children in pre-K went to their recess on the playground, laughing and climbing ladders to reach the slide.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The agency posted a photo of two helicopters soaring above part of the trail.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Many Kirkbride asylums had beautiful grounds, and soaring architecture.—
Jen Rose Smith,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aspiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiring. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share