English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English aspiren, from Old French aspirer, from Latin aspirare (“breathe on; approach; desire”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (UK) IPA(key): /əˈspaɪə(ɹ)/
- (US) IPA(key): /əˈspaɪɚ/
- Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: as‧pire
Verb[edit]
aspire (third-person singular simple present aspires, present participle aspiring, simple past and past participle aspired)
- (intransitive) To have a strong desire or ambition to achieve something.
-
to aspire to / for / after / to do something; to aspire that something happens
-
He aspires to become a successful doctor.
-
We aspire that the world will be a better place.
- Synonyms: crave, pursue, strive, yearn, dream
-
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare; [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
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There is, betwixt that smile we would aspire to, / That sweet aspect of princes, and their ruin, / More pangs and fears than wars or women have:
-
-
1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle 1, London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC, line 131-132, page 14:
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Aspiring to be Gods, if Angels fell, / Aspiring to be Angels, Men rebell:
-
- 1969, Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, New York: Random House, Chapter 23, pp. 177-178,[1]
- We were maids and farmers, handymen and washerwomen, and anything higher that we aspired to was farcical and presumptuous.
- 2014, Damon Galgut, Arctic Summer, London: Atlantic Books, Chapter 2, p. 48,[2]
- His own desire repulsed him. Though if he could not aspire to purity, then he was sufficiently aware of what his mother and certain others might think, not to give in to baseness.
-
- (transitive, obsolete) To go as high as, to reach the top of (something).
- Synonyms: ascend, mount
-
c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
-
Thus ſhall my heart be ſtil combinde with thine, / Untill our bodies turne to Elements: / And both our ſoules aſpire celeſtiall thrones.
-
-
c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
-
Mercutio’s dead! / That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,
-
- c. 1608, George Chapman, The Conspiracy and Tragedy of Charles, Duke of Byron, London: Thomas Thorppe, Act I, Scene 1,[3]
- rockes so high / That birds could scarce aspire their ridgy toppes
-
c. 1613 (first performance), John Fletcher, “The Tragedie of Bonduca”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act IV, scene iv:
-
She’s vitious; and your partiall selves confesse, / aspires the height of all impietie:
-
- (intransitive, archaic, literary) To move upward; to be very tall.
- Synonyms: ascend, rise, soar, tower
-
1589–1592 (date written), Ch[ristopher] Marl[owe], The Tragicall History of D. Faustus. […], London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Thomas Bushell, published 1604, →OCLC; republished as Hermann Breymann, editor, Doctor Faustus (Englische Sprach- und Literaturdenkmale des 16., 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts; 5; Marlowes Werke: Historisch-kritische Ausgabe […]; II), Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg: Verlag von Gebr[üder] Henninger, 1889, →OCLC, scene VIII:
-
In midst of which a sumptuous Temple stands, / That threats the starres with her aspiring toppe.
-
- 1794, Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, London: G.G. and J. Robinson, Volume 1, Chapter 4, p. 116,[4]
- As they descended, they saw […] one of the grand passes of the Pyreneáes into Spain, gleaming with its battlements and towers to the splendour of the setting rays, yellow tops of woods colouring the steeps below, while far above aspired the snowy points of the mountains, still reflecting a rosy hue.
- 1844, Edgar Allan Poe, “Dream-Land” in Graham’s Magazine, Volume 25, No. 6, June, 1844, p. 256,[5]
- Seas that restlessly aspire, / Surging, unto skies of fire;
- 1979, Cormac McCarthy, Suttree, New York: Vintage, 1992, p. 4,[6]
- There is a moonshaped rictus in the streetlamp’s globe where a stone has gone and from this aperture there drifts down through the constant helix of aspiring insects a faint and steady rain of the same forms burnt and lifeless.
[edit]
- aspirable
- aspiration
- aspirant
- aspirer
- aspiring
Translations[edit]
to hope or dream
- Bulgarian: стремя се (stremja se), домогвам се (domogvam se)
- Catalan: aspirar (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 熱望／热望 (zh) (rèwàng), 渴望 (zh) (kěwàng)
- Dutch: ambiëren (nl), nastreven (nl)
- Finnish: aikoa (fi), pyrkiä (fi)
- Galician: aspirar (gl)
- German: streben (de), hoffen (de)
- Hebrew: שָׁאַף (he) (shaáf)
- Italian: aspirare (it)
- Japanese: 希求する (ききゅうする, kikyū suru), 熱望する (ねつぼうする, netsubō suru), 切望する (せつぼうする, setsubō suru)
- Latin: aspīrō, affectō
- Maori: matawara, wawata, hōkaka, tameme, ingoingo
- Polish: aspirować (pl) impf, pretendować impf
- Portuguese: aspirar (pt), almejar (pt)
- Russian: стреми́ться (ru) (stremítʹsja)
- Spanish: aspirar (es), ambicionar (es)
- Swedish: sträva (sv)
- Turkish: isteklenmek (tr), heveslenmek (tr)
References[edit]
aspire on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams[edit]
- Arispe, Parise, Pearis, Persia, paires, paries, praise, spirea
Asturian[edit]
Verb[edit]
aspire
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive of aspirar
French[edit]
Verb[edit]
aspire
- inflection of aspirer:
- first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- second-person singular imperative
Anagrams[edit]
- paires, paries, pariés, repais
Galician[edit]
Verb[edit]
aspire
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive of aspirar
Portuguese[edit]
Verb[edit]
aspire
- inflection of aspirar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
Romanian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): [aˈspire]
Verb[edit]
aspire
- third-person singular/plural present subjunctive of aspira
Spanish[edit]
Verb[edit]
aspire
- inflection of aspirar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
intransitive verb
1
: to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal
She aspired to a career in medicine.
Synonyms
Example Sentences
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
Shoe Dog ultimately made the New York Times’ bestsellers list and found success among shoe lovers and aspiring business leaders worldwide.
—
Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2023
The musical tells the story of Lila, an aspiring singer-songwriter from small-town Kentucky (played by Tony winner Lauren Patten from Jagged Little Pill), and the big-deal touring musician, Amy (Ciara Renée), who captures her heart.
—David Hochman, Forbes, 1 Apr. 2023
For these aspiring exotic dancers, tears are expected.
—Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2023
Advertisement How aspiring Indian entrepreneurs and students were hoaxed in the quest for funding The World Startup Convention was originally scheduled for Jan. 14-16., before it was postponed to March 24-26.
—Mimansa Verma, Quartz, 30 Mar. 2023
The production usually dictates whether Giovanni poses as the mob boss reclining in a silk robe or offers inspiration as an exacting life coach for aspiring hustlers.
—Max Bell, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2023
In the hospital, Stefan’s health deteriorated, and the aspiring physical education teacher was transferred to the hospital emergency room in a coughing fit.
—Sonia Perez D., Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2023
Increasingly, new mirrorless cameras like the Sony ZV-E10 feature a high-quality in-camera microphone and fully articulating LCD to specifically cater to aspiring YouTubers and streamers.
—Brandon Russell, Popular Mechanics, 29 Mar. 2023
Mentors will also communicate with Men’s Health and Women’s Health to recommend key certifications for aspiring trainers.
—The Editors Of Mh, Men’s Health, 27 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘aspire.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of aspire was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near aspire
Cite this Entry
“Aspire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspire. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on aspire
Last Updated:
12 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
aspire
have a strong hope or ambition; to strive toward an end: They aspire to greatness.
Not to be confused with:
inspire – fill with high emotion; to guide by divine influence; stimulate creativity: Her beauty could inspire a work of art.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
as·pire
(ə-spīr′)
intr.v. as·pired, as·pir·ing, as·pires
1. To have a great ambition or ultimate goal; desire strongly: aspired to be a poet.
2. To strive toward an end or condition: aspiring to great knowledge.
3. Archaic To rise high; move upwards.
[Middle English aspiren, from aspirer, from Latin aspīrāre, to desire; see aspirate.]
as·pir′er n.
as·pir′ing·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
aspire
(əˈspaɪə)
vb (intr)
1. (usually foll by: to or after) to yearn (for) or have a powerful or ambitious plan, desire, or hope (to do or be something): to aspire to be a great leader.
2. to rise to a great height
[C15: from Latin aspīrāre to breathe upon, from spīrāre to breathe]
asˈpirer n
asˈpiring adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
as•pire
(əˈspaɪər)
v.i. -pired, -pir•ing.
1. to long, aim, or seek ambitiously, esp. for something of high value: to aspire after fame.
2. Archaic. to rise up; soar.
[1425–75; < Latin aspīrāre to breathe on <a- a-5 + spirāre to breathe]
as•pir′er, n.
as•pir′ing•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
aspire
Past participle: aspired
Gerund: aspiring
| Imperative |
|---|
| aspire |
| aspire |
| Present |
|---|
| I aspire |
| you aspire |
| he/she/it aspires |
| we aspire |
| you aspire |
| they aspire |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I aspired |
| you aspired |
| he/she/it aspired |
| we aspired |
| you aspired |
| they aspired |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am aspiring |
| you are aspiring |
| he/she/it is aspiring |
| we are aspiring |
| you are aspiring |
| they are aspiring |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have aspired |
| you have aspired |
| he/she/it has aspired |
| we have aspired |
| you have aspired |
| they have aspired |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was aspiring |
| you were aspiring |
| he/she/it was aspiring |
| we were aspiring |
| you were aspiring |
| they were aspiring |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had aspired |
| you had aspired |
| he/she/it had aspired |
| we had aspired |
| you had aspired |
| they had aspired |
| Future |
|---|
| I will aspire |
| you will aspire |
| he/she/it will aspire |
| we will aspire |
| you will aspire |
| they will aspire |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have aspired |
| you will have aspired |
| he/she/it will have aspired |
| we will have aspired |
| you will have aspired |
| they will have aspired |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be aspiring |
| you will be aspiring |
| he/she/it will be aspiring |
| we will be aspiring |
| you will be aspiring |
| they will be aspiring |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been aspiring |
| you have been aspiring |
| he/she/it has been aspiring |
| we have been aspiring |
| you have been aspiring |
| they have been aspiring |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been aspiring |
| you will have been aspiring |
| he/she/it will have been aspiring |
| we will have been aspiring |
| you will have been aspiring |
| they will have been aspiring |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been aspiring |
| you had been aspiring |
| he/she/it had been aspiring |
| we had been aspiring |
| you had been aspiring |
| they had been aspiring |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would aspire |
| you would aspire |
| he/she/it would aspire |
| we would aspire |
| you would aspire |
| they would aspire |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have aspired |
| you would have aspired |
| he/she/it would have aspired |
| we would have aspired |
| you would have aspired |
| they would have aspired |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
Translations
يَطْمَح، يَتوق
usilovat
stræbe efter
törekszik
sækjast eftir, òrá
censtiestiekties
ašpirovať
can atmakçok istemek
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
aspire
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
aspire
(əˈspaiə) verb
(usually with to) to try very hard to reach (something difficult, ambitious etc). He aspired to the position of president.
ˌaspiˈration (ӕspi-) noun
(often in plural) an ambition. aspirations to become a writer.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
- Top Definitions
- Synonyms
- Quiz
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- Examples
- British
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
[ uh—spahyuhr ]
/ əˈspaɪər /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
verb (used without object), as·pired, as·pir·ing.
to long, aim, or seek ambitiously; be eagerly desirous, especially for something great or of high value (usually followed by to, after, or an infinitive): to aspire after literary immortality; to aspire to be a doctor.
Archaic. to rise up; soar; mount; tower.
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Origin of aspire
1425–75; late Middle English (<Middle French aspirer) <Latin aspīrāre to breathe upon, pant after, equivalent to a-a-5 + spīrāre to breathe, blow
synonym study for aspire
OTHER WORDS FROM aspire
as·pir·er, nounas·pir·ing·ly, adverbnon·as·pir·ing, adjectiveun·as·pir·ing, adjective
un·as·pir·ing·ly, adverb
Words nearby aspire
aspirate, aspiration, aspirational, aspirator, aspiratory, aspire, aspirin, aspiring, asplanchnic, asplenium, sporting chance, a
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to aspire
crave, pursue, strive, yearn, desire, dream, hanker, long, seek, struggle, try, want, wish
How to use aspire in a sentence
-
Until now, he didn’t have the awareness or the nerve to aspire to such potency.
-
A judge later ruled that Grindr could not be held responsible, citing Section 230 — a mistake, in Warner’s view, that his bill aspires to fix.
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The fact that services like these — the new generation of robocalls, as it were — can sound “lifelike”, like actual humans, has been something that consumer versions have aspired to, although that hasn’t always worked out for the best.
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By the end of 2025, GM aspires to have 40 percent of its US fleet composed of battery-electric cars, and have zero pollutants coming out of new light duty cars’ tailpipes by 2035.
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Because of that burden, they usually don’t aspire to that level of detail unless their research question absolutely requires it.
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As Americans, we should absolutely aspire to more than that.
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Cheerleaders fall in love with freaks, jocks aspire to be indie musicians, and relationships are in a constant state of flux.
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Most bands these days aspire to reproduce their recordings on stage as faithfully as possible.
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My deepest desire is that my work will help people aspire to the life those kinds of images evoke.
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Our research indicates they can end up having a similar effect to an ‘in-group’ in high school that others aspire to join.
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I must aspire to the agitating transports of self-devotion, in scenes of sacrifice and peril!
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To imitate finite excellence, is to aspire at excellence, even though but in part.
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And why should good men claim for it the character of an ordinance of God, to which even of itself it does not aspire?
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He made the profession of a teacher the most honorable calling to which a citizen could aspire.
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At a time when money might aspire to everything, the millionaire’s dreams had nothing very exorbitant.
British Dictionary definitions for aspire
verb (intr)
(usually foll by to or after) to yearn (for) or have a powerful or ambitious plan, desire, or hope (to do or be something)to aspire to be a great leader
to rise to a great height
Derived forms of aspire
aspirer, nounaspiring, adjective
Word Origin for aspire
C15: from Latin aspīrāre to breathe upon, from spīrāre to breathe
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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- Inflections of ‘aspire‘ (v): (⇒ conjugate)
-
- aspires
- v 3rd person singular
-
- aspiring
- v pres p
-
- aspired
- v past
-
- aspired
- v past p
WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023
as•pire /əˈspaɪr/USA pronunciation
v. [no object], -pired, -pir•ing.
- to long for, aim for, or try to get ambitiously: [~ + to/after + object]He aspired to literary greatness.[~ + to + verb]She aspired to become a professor.
as•pir•er, n. [countable]See -spir-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023
as•pire
(ə spīər′),USA pronunciation v.i., -pired, -pir•ing.
- to long, aim, or seek ambitiously;
be eagerly desirous, esp. for something great or of high value (usually fol. by to, after, or an infinitive):to aspire after literary immortality; to aspire to be a doctor. - [Archaic.]to rise up;
soar;
mount;
tower.
- Latin aspīrāre to breathe upon, pant after, equivalent. to a- a—5 + spīrāre to breathe, blow
- Middle French aspirer)
- late Middle English (1425–75
as•pir′er, n.
as•pir′ing•ly, adv.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged yearn.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
aspire /əˈspaɪə/ vb (intransitive)
- usually followed by to or after: to yearn (for) or have a powerful or ambitious plan, desire, or hope (to do or be something): to aspire to be a great leader
- to rise to a great height
Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin aspīrāre to breathe upon, from spīrāre to breathe
asˈpiring adj
‘aspire‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):