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

• aim
• allow [chiefly Southern & Midland]
• calculate
• contemplate
• design
• go [chiefly Southern & Midland]
• intend
• look
• mean
• meditate
• plan
• propose
• purport
• purpose

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

For women who serve—or aspire to—this is the moment to step forward, not just to be in the room but to change how the room operates. —Committee Of 200, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith Therese, a young woman who aspires to design theatre sets, is working in a Manhattan department store. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025

Magnus is now an aspiring rapper and digital content creator active on platforms like YouTube and Twitch. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life centers on an aspiring author named Agathe, played by Camille Rutherford of Anatomy of a Fall, who finds herself in romantic entanglements straight from the pages of Jane Austen novels. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 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