🇺🇸
/əˈspaɪrd/
🇺🇸
/əˈspaɪrd/
🇬🇧
/əˈspaɪrd/
🇬🇧
/əˈspaɪrd/
Past Tense
aspired
Past Participle
aspired
Gerund
aspiring
3rd Person
aspires
Aspired is the past tense and past participle of 'aspire', meaning to have strongly desired or aimed for something ambitious—like a dream job, personal growth, or meaningful change. It suggests heartfelt longing and purposeful effort, not just casual wishing: e.g., 'She aspired to become a neurosurgeon since age twelve.'
He aspired to start his own sustainable fashion brand after college.
Many young scientists aspired to work at NASA during the space race.
She aspired to make a difference in education and spent ten years teaching in underserved communities.
They aspired to live a life rooted in simplicity and mindfulness.
The poet aspired to capture the quiet beauty of ordinary moments in her verses.
spir
Comes from the Latin verb 'spirare', meaning 'to breathe'. It conveys the idea of breath, life force, and by extension, inner drive or lofty desire. In 'aspire', the prefix 'ad-' (meaning 'to' or 'toward') combines with 'spirare' to form 'aspirare' — literally 'to breathe toward', evolving metaphorically to mean 'to long for or aim at something high'. Examples include inspire, expire, respire, conspire, and spirit.