aspire

American  

[uh-spahyuhr] / əˈspaɪər /

verb (used without object)

• aspires,
  present (3rd person singular)
• aspired,
  past participle,  past
• aspiring
  present participle

1. to long, aim, or seek ambitiously; be eagerly desirous, especially for something great or of high value (usually followed by to, after, or an infinitive).

   to aspire after literary immortality; to aspire to be a doctor.

   Synonyms:

   yearn

2. Archaic. to rise up; soar; mount; tower.

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aspire British  

/ əˈspaɪə /

verb

1. to yearn (for) or have a powerful or ambitious plan, desire, or hope (to do or be something)

   to aspire to be a great leader

2. to rise to a great height

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Synonym Usage

See ambitious

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• aspirer
  noun
• aspiring
  adjective
• nonaspiring
  adjective
• unaspiring
  adjective
• aspiringly
  adverb
• unaspiringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• aspiring
  present
• aspired
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• aspire
  simple
• aspires
  simple
• have aspired
  perfect
• has aspired
  perfect
• am aspiring
  progressive
• are aspiring
  progressive
• is aspiring
  progressive
• have been aspiring
  perfect progressive
• has been aspiring
  perfect progressive

Past

• aspired
  simple
• had aspired
  perfect
• was aspiring
  progressive
• were aspiring
  progressive
• had been aspiring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will aspire
  simple
• will have aspired
  perfect
• will be aspiring
  progressive
• will have been aspiring
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of aspire

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French aspirer, from Latin aspīrāre “to breathe upon, pant after,” from a- a- ⁵ + spīrāre “to breathe, blow”

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Explanation

Does your life goal include world domination? Have an ambitious plan that involves gold medals and international fame? Then you definitely know what it means to aspire toward something big. The verb aspire commonly means to aim or shoot for. But it comes from the Latin word aspirare, which means “to breathe upon.” So here's a trick for remembering this word: Think of yourself reaching up towards a spire, that really tall, tapered structure at the top of a church. Or, if you’re in a poetic mood, imagine your wish as a feather that moves forward when you blow on it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aspire aspires aspired aspiring

Plus, a Nobel laureate leaves his mark on recessions, AI leverage risk, and does California aspire to be like France?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

"It's amazing to have role models come into our club and give young girls something to aspire to," Beth added.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Becoming a content creator has officially elbowed out old standbys like doctor and astronaut as the job that Gen Z and Gen Alpha most aspire to have.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

I saw not as a cautionary tale, but something to aspire to,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Ancient Greek and Roman civilisations became something of an ideal to which people might aspire.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Archer aspires to build a fleet of air taxis that could potentially jet New York City travelers to airports in 15 minutes or less, avoiding traffic jams.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Everybody looks at her and aspires to do what she’s doing,” Fields said in an interview.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

"For anyone who aspires to do more and wants to go further, I'm proof you can do it," he said, also giving shout-outs to the local schools he had been to.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

Corvette, a promising and hard-working designer herself who aspires to Christie’s brilliance, is tormented by nightmares of rich people complaining about the generation who “can’t expect everything to be handed to them.”

From Salon ● May 22, 2026

“The magnitude of the job dwarfs every man who aspires to it.”

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

"I've always looked up to bodybuilders as like superheroes and something I aspired to be," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

When I graduated from college, I aspired to be a war correspondent and report on the humanitarian crises shaping our time.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

She always aspired to have lots of kids, her own mother testified, and even her career, as a labor and delivery nurse, was centered around bringing children into the world.

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026

Growing up a few blocks from campus, Trinidad aspired to be a veterinarian as a child.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

For her, Pedro moved out of his neighborhood into a downtown apartment, thereby, without intending to do so, ascending to the middle class to which he had never aspired.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

We made notes about what should get added to the radio catalog as fodder for our aspiring DJs — and what should get chucked out or given away for free at radio events.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Last week, a group called ShinyHunters said it had broken into an online FBI jobs portal and stolen names, addresses, and other sensitive data about thousands of current, former, and aspiring agents.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026

That summer, Léa De Carmo, an aspiring actress, was driving back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas with a friend and, after a night of partying, craved a cup of coffee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Now, those involved in the sport say opportunities are growing closer to home, giving aspiring wrestlers a chance to train, perform and begin building a career.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

The usual suspects: crazed fans, wannabe disciples, and aspiring bounty hunters.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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Related Words

• crave
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