aspire

verb

as·​pire ə-ˈspī(-ə)r 

aspired; aspiring

intransitive verb

1

: to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal

She aspired to a career in medicine.

2

: ascend, soar

aspirer noun

Synonyms

• intend
• plan
• hope
• mean
• aim
• wish
• go [chiefly Southern & Midland]

Examples of aspire in a Sentence

aspire to great deeds, and you have a better chance of doing good deeds

a tower aspiring towards the heavens

Recent Examples on the Web

While 59% of Black women aspire to be executives, only 49% of women leaders overall share a similar ambition. —Gena Cox, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Williams and Thomas, both aspiring rappers with the YNW collective, were known as YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy, respectively. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025

Those of us who write New Yorker profiles aspire, in our way, both to understand and to portray the people who agree to converse with us. —Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025

Pic is the true story of the 1977 kidnapping that made aspiring Indianapolis entrepreneur Tony Kiritsis an eccentric outlaw folk hero. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French aspirer, from Latin aspirare, literally, to breathe upon, from ad- + spirare to breathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for aspire

• admire
• afire
• backfire
• esquire
• expire
• haywire
• hellfire
• inquire
• inspire
• newswire
• perspire
• rehire

Kids Definition

aspire

verb

as·​pire ə-ˈspī(ə)r 

aspired; aspiring

: to work to get something high or great

aspirer noun