aspire

1 of 2

verb

as·​pire ə-ˈspī(-ə)r How to pronounce aspire (audio)
aspired; aspiring
Synonyms of aspire

intransitive verb

1
: to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal
She aspired to a career in medicine.
2
: ascend, soar
aspirer noun

aspirer

2 of 2

noun

aspir·​er
ə-ˈspī-rər, 
-ˈspī-ər-ər also a-
plural -s
: one that aspires

Synonyms of aspire

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Verb

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Examples of aspire in a Sentence

Verb aspire to great deeds, and you have a better chance of doing good deeds a tower aspiring towards the heavens
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Verb
Their insights offer aspiring nonprofit professionals a clearer picture of the field while encouraging those already working in it to reconsider their own assumptions. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Oct. 2026 The show has her playing Hannah Wells, an aspiring songwriter navigating college life and a complicated romance with its star hockey player. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 To write is to always aspire to the meeting of two people, not in time or space but in a meeting of their essence. — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026 Tattoo artist Benny Shields never aspired to make his mark in Hollywood, let alone on Hollywood. — Danielle Directo-Meston, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aspire

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aspire was in the 14th century

Rhymes for aspire

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Browse Nearby Words

aspirator
aspire
aspirer
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Cite this Entry

“Aspire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspire. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

aspire

verb
as·​pire ə-ˈspī(ə)r How to pronounce aspire (audio)
aspired; aspiring
: to work to get something high or great
aspirer noun
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