aspire

[uh-spahyuhr]

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.

aspire

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of aspire¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of aspire¹

C15: from Latin aspīrāre to breathe upon, from spīrāre to breathe

Synonym Study

See ambitious

Example Sentences

“We struggle to see a credible stand-alone future for Paramount as the kind of company it aspires to be,” said Bernstein analyst Laurent Yoon.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

After catering to retirees and families on road trips, Cracker Barrel was aspiring to court younger guests.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As it turned out, the acting gigs were rare, but at least it’s how he met Staron, another aspiring actor who, like him, was attending Bob Collier’s Commercial Acting School.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The JPL Reddit forum, which had historically been a place for aspiring engineers and scientists to ask employees about getting hired and about life at the lab, turned sour.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In a social media post, Afghan national team captain Rashid Khan paid tribute to the "aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• crave 
• pursue 
• strive 
• yearn