verb

aspire

/əˈspaɪər/ · say it: uh·SPYR

to direct one's hopes toward achieving

In Actions & Behavior

In more detail

1. (verb) to have a strong desire to achieve or become something; to aim for a goal

2. (verb) to rise up or move upward

Examples

1. She aspires to become a doctor and is working hard to get into medical school.
2. Smoke aspires through the chimney.

How to use aspire

Aspire is a formal or literary verb meaning to have a strong ambition or desire for something, often something difficult or lofty. It is typically used with the preposition 'to' followed by a noun or infinitive. The second meaning (to rise upward) is archaic and rarely used in modern English.

Common phrases

aspire to greatness
aspire to be
aspire to higher things
aspire to success
strongly aspire

Synonyms

aim · strive · seek · pursue · yearn

Word family

aspiration · aspirant · aspiring

A common mistake

Learners often forget to use 'to' after 'aspire' (e.g., 'aspire success' instead of 'aspire to success'), or confuse it with 'inspire,' which has a different meaning.

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