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aspiring

aspiring

3 3.5
Wanting to become successful in a particular job or activity
  • adjective
  • /əˈspaɪərɪŋ/
translation icon : aspirante
  • Aspiring administrators generally believe that the portfolio is an effective and valuable tool in seeking employment as a school leader.
  • Aspiring writers
  • Aspiring actors
  • Aspiring leaders

And, you know, journalism shouldn't scare aspiring young scientists.

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Examples

  • The competition is fierce this year, but many aspiring writers are eager to show their talent.

  • Aspiring members of the emerging middle class valued the common schools as a means for their children to learn to emulate the upper classes.

    Academic text (1997)
  • These are guys who are aspiring to be the people that they cover.

  • And what is your message to the young aspiring Med student?

  • I have to say that sounds like an art opportunity for some aspiring graphic artist out there.

  • A lot of students and aspiring developers do recruiting there.

  • What advice do you have for aspiring Youtubers that are starting from ground one?

  • Top five documentary films that every aspiring filmmaker should watch.

  • Aspiring leaders should worry less about the number of mistakes they make and more about the number of times they make the same mistake or avoid admitting it.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Aspiring author and full-time working mum who is constantly inspired by my four-year-old daughter.

    Blog text (24)

Synonyms

ambitious
vsaspiring
128 3.7

Wanting very much to succeed and willing to work hard

leans more toward desire for recognition rather than effort
aspirational
vsaspiring
12 5.3

Wanting to be more successful, often shown by luxury brands or lifestyles

focuses on personal wanting rather than being created to appeal
aspirant
vsaspiring
1 7.2

Wanting to achieve an important goal or position

has the same strong desire but as a personal state

Antonyms

87 1.0

Feeling happy and satisfied with what you have

3 4.1

Not wanting to try hard to reach higher goals

How Ambitious

driven
3.5
ambitious
128 3.7
aspiring
3 3.5
hopeful
189 1.8
content
87 1.0
unambitious
3 4.1

Surface Forms

aspiring positive

Morphology

aspiring = aspire (transparent) = aspire + ing

Standard adjectival/present-participle formation from the verb 'aspire' meaning 'having aspirations, aiming for achievement'.

Etymology

The word aspiring comes from Latin parts: ad- meaning 'to' and spirare meaning 'to breathe', so it originally meant 'to breathe toward' something. Like inspire, which has the same root, aspiring now means having a strong wish to reach a goal or get success.