ASPIRATION Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'aspiration' different from other nouns like it?

The words ambition and pretension are common synonyms of aspiration . While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself. // an aspiration to become president someday

Q: When is it sensible to use 'ambition' instead of 'aspiration'?

Although the words ambition and aspiration have much in common, ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire. // driven by ambition

Q: In what contexts can 'pretension' take the place of 'aspiration'?

While in some cases nearly identical to aspiration , pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption. // has literary pretensions

aspiration

noun

ˌa-spə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of aspiration

as in ambition

eager desire for personal advancement a combination of aspiration and hard work made her the top tennis player in the state

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in goal

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish college is his immediate aspiration after he graduates from high school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word aspiration different from other nouns like it?

The words ambition and pretension are common synonyms of aspiration. While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

an aspiration to become president someday

When is it sensible to use ambition instead of aspiration?

Although the words ambition and aspiration have much in common, ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

driven by ambition

In what contexts can pretension take the place of aspiration?

While in some cases nearly identical to aspiration, pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.

has literary pretensions

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 aspiration When Hannah’s dad, Kent, told a coworker about his daughter’s aspirations, that led to a call from Jim Sundberg. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026 Jacksonville has paid Lawrence like a franchise-altering quarterback, built around him and attached its championship aspirations to his right arm. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026 Parton moved to Nashville after high school to pursue her music aspirations. — CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026 Gone is the callow rage and aspirations of badassery that prompted them to write Leviathan about Moby-Dick. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aspiration

Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiration

Noun

The group tied David Ellison’s merger ambitions to his billionaire father’s expansive network of businesses, which now include TikTok.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Near term, political pushback against data centers is a bigger risk for GEV than Musk's ambitions.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ambition

Noun

But that doesn’t mean eating before working out is always better overall, as meal timing can affect each body differently depending on one's goals.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
One of the first focuses under the new corporate structure will be addressing cancer drug affordability, Shah said, with a goal of accelerating the adoption of lower-cost biosimilars, which are clinically equivalent drugs akin to generic drugs.

— Ian Thomas, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of goal

Noun

The intention is for the 18-year-old to return to Genk on loan for the 2026-27 season, but this is dependent on whether or not Liverpool No 2 Giorgi Mamardashvili stays beyond the deadline.

— The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Earlier this month, the FTC signaled its intention to go after companies that don’t disclose their use of personalized pricing.

— Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of intention

Browse Nearby Words

aspirants

aspiration

aspirations

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“Aspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiration. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of aspiration

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