aspiring

American

[uh-spahyer-ing] / əˈspaɪər ɪŋ /

adjective

eagerly or ambitiously aiming for a particular career, title, social status, etc.: a team of aspiring gold medalists.

an aspiring composer;
a team of aspiring gold medalists.

Related Words

See ambitious.

Other Word Forms

aspiringly adverb
nonaspiring adjective
unaspiring adjective
unaspiringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of aspiring

First recorded in 1575–1595; aspire ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

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 • Mar. 30, 2026

He says American stand-up is about taking a topic and making it funny, aspiring for a five-minute joke-filled late night TV spot.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

And then there are some activities, like busking, that are allowed only at designated spots, and aspiring performers must pass auditions judged by a panel from the National Arts Council.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

One might wonder why a twenty-something aspiring rock star would choose a children’s film like “Peter Pan” to be the centerpiece of his bedroom.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

Visiting valets, I have found, are often the worst offenders, aspiring as they usually do to the position of butler with some urgency.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023