Aspire
A student pictures herself running a laboratory one day. She is not there yet, but the ambition gives her something to work toward, and this verb names that aim.
Learn This WordMeaning
To have a strong ambition or hope to achieve something, especially something important or difficult.
Memory trick
Picture looking up at a tall spire and aiming to reach its top. Aspire means to aim high or hope to achieve something; aspiration names that ambition.
Examples
They aspire to greatness.
She aspires to become a civil servant and improve local services.
The young musician aspired to a place in the national orchestra.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Old French aspirer, from Latin aspirare "to breathe upon, strive toward," formed from ad "to" + spirare "to breathe."
Usage Notes
Use aspire to followed by a verb or a noun phrase: "aspire to lead" or "aspire to leadership." In SSC sentence-completion and grammar questions, distinguish aspire, the verb, from aspiration, the noun, and check the required "to."
Real-life contexts
Discuss a goal: "I aspire to lead a research team."
Ask about ambitions: "What kind of role do you aspire to?"
Describe a standard: "That is the level of clarity we should aspire to."
Common Mistakes
Write "aspire to become," not "aspire become" or "aspire for becoming." Aspiring to a goal does not mean you have already achieved it. An aspirant is a person seeking a position or achievement.
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Start LearningQuick Facts
Part of Speech
verb
Difficulty
intermediate