aspire

aspire — verb

1. to strongly desire a major accomplishment or a particular life role — for exampl

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to strongly desire a major accomplishment or a particular life role — for example, to become a doctor, a leader, or an artist — usually requiring long-term effort and dedication.

Example

Élise aspired to become a professional violinist after years of intense training.

aspire + to-infinitive for personal ambition

Many young teachers aspire to a leadership role like principal or department head.

aspire + to + noun (career target)

Common collocations
  • aspire to greatness
  • aspire to excellence
  • aspire to a career in
  • aspire to leadership
  • aspire to the position of
  • aspire to be like someone
  • aspire to do something great
Synonyms
  • aim

    more concrete and specific; you aim at a particular result, whereas you aspire to a broader ideal or role

  • strive

    focuses on the effort and struggle involved, whereas aspire highlights the desire

  • seek

    more neutral and general; can apply to short-term or everyday objectives

  • dream

    less active and more wishful; can imply absence of a realistic plan

Antonyms
  • abandon

    to give up an ambition or goal entirely

  • settle

    to accept a lower standard than what one hoped for, rather than striving for more

Grammar Patterns

aspire + to-infinitive

aspire + to + noun

Usage Note

Always intransitive — the goal is introduced by to (aspire to greatness / aspire to become a lawyer). Less common in everyday conversation than in formal writing, such as college applications, political speeches, or career profiles. The closely related noun aspiration is very common.

Common Mistakes

She aspires becoming a journalist.
She aspires to become a journalist.
'aspire' must be followed by 'to' + infinitive or 'to' + noun, never a gerund.
He aspired wealth and fame.
He aspired to wealth and fame.
'aspire' is intransitive; the target of the ambition must be linked by 'to'.
The speech inspired me to aspire for greatness.
The speech inspired me to aspire to greatness.
Although 'aim for' is correct, 'aspire to' is the standard preposition.

Word family

  • aspiration
    nounB2
  • aspiring
    adjectiveB2
  • aspirant
    nounC1
  • aspirant
    adjectiveC1
  • aspirational
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Aspire suggests a long-term, often idealistic ambition directed toward a high personal standard or life role; it carries a tone of earnest commitment. Aim is more concrete and specific — you aim at a particular target (a grade, a promotion) with a plan. Strive emphasises the hard work and persistent effort behind the goal, while aspire focuses on the desire itself. Seek is neutral and broad: you can seek a job, a solution, or advice, without the emotional weight of aspiring. Dream can overlap with aspire but lacks the implication of active effort — you can dream of being a movie star without taking any steps. To aspire is to dream plus intend. For example, a student may dream of a medical degree, but she aspires to it only when she begins studying for the entrance exam.

aim ↗strive ↗seek ↗dream ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • aspire to be
  • aspire to become
  • aspire to a position
  • aspire to a life of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Aspire entered English around the 15th century from Old French 'aspirer', which came from Latin 'aspirare' — literally 'to breathe upon' (ad- 'toward' + spirare 'to breathe'). The Latin verb developed a figurative sense: to breathe toward something came to mean to eagerly desire or strive for it, as though one's breath and spirit were reaching out toward a goal. The original literal meaning 'to blow upon, to breathe on' is now obsolete in English; the modern sense of aiming high with determination took over completely.