Synonyms

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.

The aspiring presenter soon received a letter, inviting him in for a chat.

From BBC

Scorsese grew up in New York’s Little Italy as a Catholic altar boy and aspiring priest who was also fascinated by the mafiosos that loomed large in his community.

From The Wall Street Journal

The case has also derailed the aspiring career of the viral hitmaker.

From BBC

Seeing Tesla as an aspiring AI winner isn’t a surprise to investors.

From Barron's

Goldman, 25, was an aspiring actor and friend of Nicole Brown Simpson.

From Los Angeles Times

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