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Glite Dictionary
to reach for the sky

to reach for the sky

3 7.1
To try to do very big or difficult things to get what you want
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : apuntar alto
  • You should always reach for the sky and pursue your dreams.
  • got to reach for the sky

Examples

  • He decided to reach for the sky and not give up on his goals.

  • Reach for the sky, be a dreamer ♪ ♪ Life'll be a little bit sweeter ♪ ♪ When the day comes

    Karate Kid: Legends (2025)

  • And I was reaching for the sky

    Dangerous Game (1993)

  • Take root and reach for the sky!

    Blog text (7)

  • All right Wills, reach for the sky!

    She Hate Me (2004)

  • Her sails reached for the sky.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • "Reach for the sky, DeVry."

    Academic text (2003)

  • Reach for the sky, pardner.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Despite the challenges, she chose to reach for the sky with her aspirations.

Synonyms

to aspire
vsto reach for the sky
106 4.1

To want very much to achieve an important goal

involves active effort to accomplish very ambitious goals rather than only desire
to aim for
vsto reach for the sky
79 2.8

To try to reach a goal

is focused on goals that are especially high and ambitious
to shoot for
vsto reach for the sky
  • Informal
30 3.9

To try to reach a big, difficult goal

is specific to very high and exceptionally ambitious goals
to follow your dream
vsto reach for the sky
18 3.4

To try to reach a personal goal despite problems

is about aiming for very ambitious long term goals rather than personal aims generally
to dream big
vsto reach for the sky
  • Informal
15 3.4

To have very big goals for the future

is about making strong attempts toward very ambitious goals rather than only having hopes
to aim high
vsto reach for the sky
5 3.9

Try to reach very difficult goals

is about actively trying to attain very ambitious goals rather than just setting them
to reach for the stars
vsto reach for the sky
  • Informal
4 4.9

To try to achieve very big goals

is focused on active attempts to achieve very ambitious goals
to shoot for the stars
vsto reach for the sky
  • Informal
2 4.7

Try to reach a very high and difficult goal

is similar but framed as a general ambitious attempt
to pursue a dream
vsto reach for the sky
1 3.0

Work to make a dream come true

is used for very ambitious aims rather than any personal aspiration

Antonyms

to give up
∞ 1.2

To stop trying to do something or accept defeat

to settle for less
9 4.5

To accept something worse than what you want or deserve

How Ambitious

to reach for the sky
  • Informal
3 7.1
to aim high
5 3.9
to lower one's sights
  • Informal
1 6.9

Surface Forms

reach for the sky infinitive
reached for the sky past
reached for the sky past participle
reaching for the sky present participle
reaches for the sky third person singular

Morphology

reach + for + the + sky

The phrase combines 'reach' (to attain) with 'sky' (a very high/remote target), so a learner who knows the words can infer a metaphorical sense of aiming very high or seeking ambitious goals. However, the meaning is a figurative extension rather than strictly compositional and relies on metaphorical mapping (similar to 'reach for the stars'), so it is not fully predictable without some exposure.

Etymology

Reach for the sky comes from the picture of someone stretching up to reach the sky. That picture shows aiming very high, so it means 'to try to achieve very big goals'.