Definition of 'aspire'
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense aspires
, present participle aspiring
, past tense, past participle aspired
1. verb
2. See also aspiring
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
You may also like
Word Frequency
aspire in British English
verb (intransitive)
1. (usually foll by to or after)
to aspire to be a great leader
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
aspirer (asˈpirer) noun
aspiring (asˈpiring)
adjective
Word origin
C15: from Latin aspīrāre to breathe upon, from spīrāre to breathe
Word Frequency
aspire in American English
verb intransitiveWord forms: asˈpired or asˈpiring
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
aspirer (asˈpirer)
noun
Word origin
ME aspiren < L aspirare, to breathe upon, aspire to < ad-, to + spirare, to breathe: see spiritWord Frequency
aspire in American English
(əˈspaiᵊr)
intransitive verbWord forms: -pired, -piring
SYNONYMS 1. yearn.1. (usually fol. by to, after, or an infinitive)
to aspire after literary immortality
to aspire to be a doctor
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
aspirer noun
aspiringly
adverb
Word origin
[1425–75; late ME (‹ MF aspirer) ‹ L aspīrāre to breathe upon, pant after, equiv. to a- a-5 + spīrāre to breathe, blow]Examples of 'aspire' in a sentence
aspire
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins.
We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to the Collins team. Read more…
Trends of
aspire
View usage for:
Source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
In other languages
aspire
British English: aspire
VERB /əˈspaɪə/
to aspire to sth If you aspire to something such as an important job, you have a strong desire to achieve it.
...people who aspire to public office.
Browse alphabetically
aspire
Source
Definition of aspire from the Collins English Dictionary
Read about the team of authors behind Collins Dictionaries.
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
SYNONYMS
Select the synonym for:
to smile
SYNONYMS
Select the synonym for:
now
Your score:
Word of the day
en brochette
(esp of meat) roasted or grilled on a skewer
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
SYNONYMS
Select the synonym for:
above
SYNONYMS
Select the synonym for:
to cry
SYNONYMS
Select the synonym for:
angrily
SYNONYMS
Select the synonym for:
hate
SYNONYMS
Select the synonym for:
to break
Your score:
Learning English: countable and uncountable nouns
Discover more about the differences between countable and uncountable nouns in our latest Learning English blog.
Read more
Learning English: Months of the year
Learn how to speak about the months of the year, and give information about important dates. Improve your English with Collins.
Read more
Learning English: Days of the week
Learn how to discuss what happens on different days of the week, whether you want to make plans for the day or talk about weekly routines.
Read more
Learning English: Going shopping
Discover some useful English expressions to use while you're out at the shops in this week's Learning English blog.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more