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

From senior leaders to team managers (and even aspiring managers), the prospect of losing talent with the best AI skills should be a wake-up call. —Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

Bronson van Wyck, an aspiring party planner, took advantage of VF ‘s policy of allowing in all of the night’s award winners. —Michael Grynbaum, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025

Herrmann is training dozens of aspiring pickleball pros at The Fort’s APP High Performance Academy, which is designed for players ages 12-to-18. —Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025

The West Side Bazaar is a small business incubator where aspiring entrepreneurs learn the fundamentals of running a business. —American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 11 July 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