aim
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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to intend or direct for a particular effect or purpose.
to aim a satire at snobbery.
verb (used without object)
-
to point or direct a gun, punch, etc., toward.
He aimed at the target but missed it.
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to strive; try (usually followed by to orat ).
We aim to please.
They aim at saving something every month.
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to intend.
She aims to go tomorrow.
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to direct efforts, as toward an object.
The satire aimed at modern greed.
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Obsolete. to estimate; guess.
noun
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the act of aiming or directing anything at or toward a particular point or target.
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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
noun
verb
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to point (a weapon, missile, etc) or direct (a blow) at a particular person or object; level
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(tr) to direct (satire, criticism, etc) at a person, object, etc
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(intr; foll by at or an infinitive) to propose or intend
we aim to leave early
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(intr; often foll by at or for) to direct one's efforts or strive (towards)
to aim at better communications
to aim high
noun
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the action of directing something at an object
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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
abbreviation
Related Words
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
- aimer noun
- aimful adjective
- aimfully adverb
- misaim verb
- unaimed adjective
- unaiming adjective
- underaim noun
- well-aimed adjective
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 ( estimate ( def. ) ); replacing Middle English amen, from Old French (dialectal) amer, from Latin aestimāre
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.
Authorities say the deployment, set to run for a year, is aimed at restoring order to crime-ridden areas, but critics warn that using the military in civilian policing rarely delivers lasting results.
From BBC
The curtailing of perks, from offsites to travel, is happening amid an AI push that employees say seems aimed at squeezing more work out of fewer people.
Nasa is aiming for to launch the latest crewed mission on Wednesday.
From BBC
Writing on GitHub, the programmer said the effort was aimed at keeping the information available without risking a takedown.
He highlighted a number of measures coming into force from this month aimed at easing the cost of living, including removing some green levies from energy bills and increasing the national living wage.
From BBC
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.
