aspire
uh-SPY-er
/əˈspaɪər/
To direct one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something high or noble.
Implies striving upward toward a meaningful, noble, or elevated goal rather than a mundane desire.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'aspirare' meaning 'to breathe upon' or 'pant after.' The mental picture is breathing deeply as you reach upward toward a cherished mountain peak.
Word relationships
- aim: Aim implies general direction, whereas aspire carries a sense of reaching upward for noble heights.
- strive: Strive emphasizes hard labor and effort, while aspire emphasizes the lofty vision guiding the desire.
- despair: Despair is abandoning all desire or hope of achievement.
- condescend: Condescend means to lower oneself rather than reach upward.
Commonly confused with
- expire: Aspire means breathing hope inward to reach high, while expire means breathing out one's last breath.
Word family
- aspiration (noun): A hope or ambition of achieving something.
- aspirational (adjective): Having or showing a desire to achieve high status or goals.
- aspirant (noun): A person who has ambitions to achieve something.
Collocations
- aspire to lead
- aspire to greatness
- aspire toward excellence
Idioms & expressions
- reach for the stars
- aim high
Example sentences
- "From a young age, she would aspire to become a pioneering voice in medical research." Biography / Literature
- "We must aspire to build a society where justice is accessible to every human being." Philosophical Speech
Memory hook
Aspire to reach the top of the SPIRE on a cathedral. Breathe deep and aim for the spire.
When not to use
Do not use for basic physical desires (e.g., 'I aspire to eat lunch').
Fun facts
- Shares a root with 'respire', 'inspire', and 'conspire'—all related to breathing!
Related words
Also appears in
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