Standard Lemma guide

aspire

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /əˈspaɪə(ɹ)/
  • US: /əˈspaɪɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 S P AY1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To have a strong desire or ambition to achieve something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crave, pursue, strive, yearn, dream

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To go as high as, to reach the top of (something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ascend, mount

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To move upward; to be very tall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, intransitive, literary, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ascend, rise, soar, tower

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: draw a bead on, aim, shoot for

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: plan, be after

Narrower terms: overshoot

History

Etymology

From Middle English aspiren, from Old French aspirer, from Latin aspīrō (“breathe on; approach; desire”).

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: стремя се (stremja se) — to hope or dream
  • Bulgarian: домогвам се (domogvam se) — to hope or dream
  • Catalan: aspirar — to hope or dream
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熱望 /热望 (rèwàng) — to hope or dream
  • Chinese Mandarin: 渴望 (kěwàng) — to hope or dream
  • Dutch: ambiëren — to hope or dream
  • Dutch: nastreven — to hope or dream
  • Esperanto: aspiri — to hope or dream
  • Finnish: aikoa — to hope or dream
  • Finnish: pyrkiä — to hope or dream
  • Galician: aspirar — to hope or dream
  • German: streben — to hope or dream
  • German: hoffen — to hope or dream
  • Hebrew: שָׁאַף (shaáf) — to hope or dream
  • Italian: aspirare — to hope or dream
  • Japanese: 希求する (kikyū suru) — to hope or dream
  • Japanese: 熱望する (netsubō suru) — to hope or dream
  • Japanese: 切望する (setsubō suru) — to hope or dream
  • Latin: aspīrō — to hope or dream
  • Latin: affectō — to hope or dream
  • Māori: matawara — to hope or dream
  • Māori: wawata — to hope or dream
  • Māori: hōkaka — to hope or dream
  • Māori: tameme — to hope or dream
  • Māori: ingoingo — to hope or dream
  • Polish: aspirować — to hope or dream
  • Polish: pretendować — to hope or dream
  • Portuguese: aspirar — to hope or dream
  • Portuguese: almejar — to hope or dream
  • Russian: стреми́ться (stremítʹsja) — to hope or dream
  • Spanish: aspirar — to hope or dream
  • Spanish: ambicionar — to hope or dream
  • Swedish: sträva — to hope or dream
  • Turkish: isteklenmek — to hope or dream
  • Turkish: heveslenmek — to hope or dream