aim
verb (used with object)
to position or direct (a firearm, ball, arrow, rocket, etc.) so that, on firing or release, the discharged projectile will hit a target or travel along a certain path.
aim
1 American
[aym]
/ eɪm /
verb (used with object)
-
aims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
aimed,
past participle, past
-
aiming
present participle
-
to position or direct (a firearm, ball, arrow, rocket, etc.) so that, on firing or release, the discharged projectile will hit a target or travel along a certain path.
- Synonyms:
- point
-
to intend or direct for a particular effect or purpose.
to aim a satire at snobbery.
verb (used without object)
-
aims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
aimed,
past participle, past
-
aiming
present participle
-
to point or direct a gun, punch, etc., toward.
He aimed at the target but missed it.
-
to strive; try (usually followed by to orat ).
We aim to please.
They aim at saving something every month.
-
to intend.
She aims to go tomorrow.
-
to direct efforts, as toward an object.
The satire aimed at modern greed.
-
Obsolete. to estimate; guess.
noun
-
aims
plural
-
the act of aiming or directing anything at or toward a particular point or target.
-
the direction in which a weapon or missile is pointed; the line of sighting.
within the cannon's aim.
-
the point intended to be hit; thing or person aimed at.
to miss one's aim.
-
something intended or desired to be attained by one's efforts; purpose.
whatever his aim in life may be.
-
Obsolete. conjecture; guess.
idioms
AIM
2
American
[aym]
/ eɪm /
noun
aim
1
British
/ eɪm /
verb
-
to point (a weapon, missile, etc) or direct (a blow) at a particular person or object; level
-
(tr) to direct (satire, criticism, etc) at a person, object, etc
-
(intr; foll by at or an infinitive) to propose or intend
we aim to leave early
-
(intr; often foll by at or for) to direct one's efforts or strive (towards)
to aim at better communications
to aim high
noun
-
the action of directing something at an object
-
the direction in which something is pointed; line of sighting (esp in the phrase to take aim )
-
the object at which something is aimed; target
-
intention; purpose
AIM
2
British
abbreviation
aim
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
Aim, end, object all imply something that is the goal of one's efforts. Aim implies that toward which one makes a direct line, refusing to be diverted from it: a nobleness of aim; one's aim in life. End emphasizes the goal as a cause of efforts: the end for which one strives. Object emphasizes the goal as that toward which all efforts are directed: the object of years of study.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
aimernoun
-
underaimnoun
-
misaimverb
-
underaimverb
-
aimfuladjective
-
unaimedadjective
-
unaimingadjective
-
well-aimedadjective
-
aimfullyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
aimsimple
-
aimssimple
-
have aimedperfect
-
has aimedperfect
-
am aimingprogressive
-
are aimingprogressive
-
is aimingprogressive
-
have been aimingperfect progressive
-
has been aimingperfect progressive
Past
-
aimedsimple
-
had aimedperfect
-
was aimingprogressive
-
were aimingprogressive
-
had been aimingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of aim
First recorded in 1275–1325; late Middle English aimen, from Anglo-French a(e)smer, eimer, from Old French aesmer, from Vulgar Latin adaestimāre (unrecorded), equivalent to Latin ad- ad- ( def. ) + aestimāre ( see estimate ( def. )); replacing Middle English amen, from Old French (dialectal) amer, from Latin aestimāre
Explanation
If you wad up a piece of paper and line up a shot at a wastebasket, you are taking aim. If instead, the paper bounces off your teacher's head, then your aim was way off. A purpose or goal is an aim. When you were little, your aim might have been to be a famous astronaut, a movie star, or a police officer. As a verb, aim means to intend, try, or aspire. You may aim to take your dog for three walks every day, but your fenced-in yard tends to make both of you lazy.
Vocabulary lists containing aim
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The aim is to make the AI assistants now writing code, crawling the internet and booking appointments on our behalf a little more approachable, distinct and trustworthy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
These analyses aim to gauge the capabilities of autonomous AI tools, as their lapses fuel fears of losing control over the technology.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
But Walker’s estate also takes aim at state medical authorities and the medical team that treated her, arguing that they knowingly denied her life-saving care.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Their government counterparts often aim for a deal that protects county coffers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
I aim for Malik—the perfectly lined-up cutoff man—who lets the ball go through, and my two-hop pea hits Ben-Ben’s glove right in front of the third-base bag.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
"By extending the compliance deadline, the EPA is maintaining and even increasing demand in the market for existing refrigerants while supply continues to fall under the AIM Act."
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
Its pubs and bars will stay open through the process, but it has been suspended from trading on London's junior AIM stock exchange.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
The desk covers all stocks from the largest FTSE100s to the smallest AIM companies across the whole range of industries and subject matters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026
Or, more accurately, I’d stare at my AIM window until she finally logged on and I messaged her first.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2025
My AIM account logged in automatically, and my short list of buddies were all offline.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
You can’t get very far with a retirement plan without goals, so Goldie’s system starts with a simple statement of your aims.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Mynt, which operates the GCash mobile financial-services platform, aims to list on the Philippine Stock Exchange on Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
As host of ‘The Traitors,’ Cumming loves to dress up and play lord of the castle, but in Russell T Davies’ limited series, his latest dramatic role, he aims to shake people up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Targeting the German market, the company aims to "relieve" drivers of repetitive and arduous tasks through its AI solutions.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Poetry aims for an economy of truth—loose and useless words must be discarded, and I found that these loose and useless words were not separate from loose and useless thoughts.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Haass chaired all-party talks in Northern Ireland in 2013 aimed at resolving contentious issues, including parades.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
A statement from French President Emmanuel Macron said the reserve release would happen over four months and is aimed at bringing down oil product prices, particularly diesel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
The decrees, which introduced a series of initiatives aimed at protecting tenants in the rental market, required parliamentary approval in order to remain in place.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
In January, Raman voted against the mayor’s push to add 170 police officers, a proposal aimed at preventing the department from losing officers this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
I spun around and aimed the flashlight at the floor.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
The Dodgers are the reigning back-to-back champions and are aiming to become the first National League team to win three World Series in a row.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Its latest lineup of smartphones, the Mate 90 Series, released Thursday, uses technology to layer circuits within a single chip, aiming to boost computing power despite lacking access to cutting-edge machinery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Campbell founded the charity in 2005, aiming to harness the fashion industry to relieve poverty and advance health and education, by making grants to other organisations and giving resources towards global disasters.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
But Bill Pay was clearly not aiming for highbrow acclaim in the way Barbie aimed for the Oscars.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Nearby, Ivo’s mech comes hurtling toward us, aiming straight for Roshan.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
