aspire
uh-SPY-er
/əˈspaɪər/
To direct one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something high or noble.
Implies looking upward toward a lofty or elevated standard.
The story behind the word. Latin 'spirare' means to breathe. 'Aspire' literally means to pant or breathe heavily after something because you are running so hard toward it. It shares this breathing root with 'inspire' (breathe into) and 'respire' (breathe again).
Word relationships
- aim: 'Aim' is neutral and practical; 'aspire' connotes moral or ideal loftiness.
- yearn: 'Yearn' emphasizes emotional longing, whereas 'aspire' emphasizes goal-directed effort.
- despair: To lose all hope or aspirational desire.
- condescend: To lower oneself to a inferior level.
Commonly confused with
- conspire: 'Conspire' means to plan secretly together; 'aspire' means to aim high.
Word family
- aspiration (noun): A hope or ambition of achieving something.
- aspirational (adjective): Having or showing a desire to achieve high status or success.
Collocations
- aspire to become
- aspire to greatness
- aspiring writer
- aspire to lead
Idioms & expressions
- reach for the stars
Example sentences
- "Many young diplomats aspire to represent their country at the United Nations." Career development
- "To aspire to higher ideals requires both imagination and relentless effort." Literary citation
Memory hook
When you ASPIRE, you breathe in high mountain air as you climb higher. Aspire = panting after high goals.
When not to use
Do not use for trivial desires like 'I aspire to buy groceries today'.
Fun facts
- The word 'aspire' entered Middle English through Old French around the 14th century.
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.