aspire

American  

[uh-spahyuhr] / əˈspaɪər /

verb (used without object)

aspired, aspiring

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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Related Words

See ambitious

Other Word Forms

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

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”

Example Sentences

An aspiring writer as a teenager, Burden turned her focus to law in college, earning a degree in Juvenile and Immigration Law from New York University.

From Los Angeles Times

Bill Ackman, aspiring to replace him as the world’s leading investment guru, thinks the time has come to act on that advice.

From Barron's

Here, he discusses “The Pitt,” his best advice for aspiring chefs and rethinking menus for the Ozempic era.

From The Wall Street Journal

Horsfield’s version shows the kind of sumptuous cage many aspire to live in, revealing why some people prefer to remain lavishly trapped, and others rattle the bars, hoping for escape.

From Salon

Zhang's rise embodied what millions of his followers aspire towards: someone from a small town who climbs the social ladder by forging their own path.

From BBC

Related Words

• crave
• pursue
• strive
• yearn