to position or direct (a firearm, ball, arrow, rocket, etc.) so that, on firing or release, the discharged projectile will hit a target or travel along a certain path.
to intend or direct for a particular effect or purpose.
to aim a satire at snobbery.
to point or direct a gun, punch, etc., toward.
He aimed at the target but missed it.
to strive; try (usually followed by to orat ).
We aim to please.
They aim at saving something every month.
to intend.
She aims to go tomorrow.
to direct efforts, as toward an object.
The satire aimed at modern greed.
Obsolete. to estimate; guess.
the act of aiming or directing anything at or toward a particular point or target.
the direction in which a weapon or missile is pointed; the line of sighting.
within the cannon's aim.
the point intended to be hit; thing or person aimed at.
to miss one's aim.
something intended or desired to be attained by one's efforts; purpose.
whatever his aim in life may be.
Obsolete. conjecture; guess.
to point (a weapon, missile, etc) or direct (a blow) at a particular person or object; level
(tr) to direct (satire, criticism, etc) at a person, object, etc
(intr; foll by at or an infinitive) to propose or intend
we aim to leave early
(intr; often foll by at or for) to direct one's efforts or strive (towards)
to aim at better communications
to aim high
the action of directing something at an object
the direction in which something is pointed; line of sighting (esp in the phrase to take aim )
the object at which something is aimed; target
intention; purpose
Aim, end, object all imply something that is the goal of one's efforts. Aim implies that toward which one makes a direct line, refusing to be diverted from it: a nobleness of aim; one's aim in life. End emphasizes the goal as a cause of efforts: the end for which one strives. Object emphasizes the goal as that toward which all efforts are directed: the object of years of study.
First recorded in 1275–1325; late Middle English aimen, from Anglo-French a(e)smer, eimer, from Old French aesmer, from Vulgar Latin adaestimāre (unrecorded), equivalent to Latin ad- ad- ( def. ) + aestimāre ( see estimate ( def. )); replacing Middle English amen, from Old French (dialectal) amer, from Latin aestimāre
If you wad up a piece of paper and line up a shot at a wastebasket, you are taking aim. If instead, the paper bounces off your teacher's head, then your aim was way off. A purpose or goal is an aim. When you were little, your aim might have been to be a famous astronaut, a movie star, or a police officer. As a verb, aim means to intend, try, or aspire. You may aim to take your dog for three walks every day, but your fenced-in yard tends to make both of you lazy.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By 2035, the aim is for every young person to have 45 days of work experience by the time they're 19.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
"We are working on a new and realistic methodology, let's say, which will help us reach our common aim to do something different this time after the experiences of 2004 and 2017," Erhuman said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The 41-year-old star will join Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on a Philadelphia team that will aim to dethrone the New York Knicks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Through the restructuring, BuzzFeed’s leaders said, the company will aim to grow its audience and bolster its positon in free streaming content.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
For sometimes, when we take the deadliest aim, we are nothing if not reckless.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Its pubs and bars will stay open through the process, but it has been suspended from trading on London's junior AIM stock exchange.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
The desk covers all stocks from the largest FTSE100s to the smallest AIM companies across the whole range of industries and subject matters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026
“Volume growth was driven by stronger demand for Opteon…in connection with the stationary air conditioning…transition under the U.S. AIM Act,” said the company.
From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2025
By the time SmarterChild logged off for good in 2007 following Microsoft’s acquisition of the company, it had accumulated more than 30 million “buddies” on AIM, Yahoo, and MSN Messenger.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2025
AIM was how I figured we’d do most of our talking tonight.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
Text that aims to inform the public on general interest issues will also have to be labelled if they are created using AI without human editorial oversight.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
He pointed to the proposed Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware Act, which aims to tighten export controls with international partners on critical semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Uefa said that at its recent meeting that refereeing bosses agreed a return to those original aims is needed.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
"The light no longer merely switches the current on; it also aims it," Cundiff said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Don’t aim tuh tell yuh! Ah aims tuh keep yuh in de dark all de time. If you’se smart lak you let on you is, you kin find out.”
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
The contract aimed for initial delivery of an Air Force One aircraft by the end of 2024.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Against this backdrop, Trump signed an executive order in August 2025 aimed at boosting the US space industry.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The US military said at the time that its strikes were aimed to "degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz" - a global route for transporting oil.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The company had been the beneficiary of a federal “loan guarantee” program that aimed to spur investment in experimental technologies that were unproven but could yield huge financial or climate dividends.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
He later changed his mind and led one of the first societies aimed at abolishing slavery, in 1790.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Trott said plans for asset sales are also progressing, with the miner aiming to announce about $5 billion in divestments by the end of 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The firm had been aiming to close the deal by September but agreed to table its takeover — perhaps until next spring — to allow a fiercer than expected challenge from California Atty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
With the additional funds, Dangote said the company is aiming to reduce "Africa's reliance on imported refined products" and strengthen the "continent's energy security."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
She is aiming to defend the titles she won at Birmingham 2022.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I bet they’re aiming for the Ivy League. Oh, they could help you with your essays! You’ve never really been good at writing.”
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
