aspiring

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪəɹɪŋ

Adjective

aspiring (not comparable)

1. Hoping to become.

   Synonyms: ambitious, wannabe, would-be

   Aspiring pop stars lined up for hours just to audition.

   • 1910, Emma Goldman, “Anarchism”, in Anarchism, and Other Essays‎^[1], New York: Mother Earth Publishing Association, page 70:

     Time and time again the people were foolish enough to trust, believe, and support with their last farthing aspiring politicians, only to find themselves betrayed and cheated.

   • 2018, Tsitsi Dangarembga, chapter 16, in This Mournable Body‎^[2], Minneapolis: Graywolf Press:

     Here three aspiring young seamstresses—diplomas in dressmaking from the People’s College of Zimbabwe hung on the wall—bicker and scowl at each other.

Derived terms

• aspiringness
• nonaspiring
• unaspiring

 

Verb

aspiring

1. present participle and gerund of aspire

Derived terms

• aspiringly

Noun

aspiring (plural aspirings)

1. (archaic) Aspiration.
   • 1661, Joseph Glanvill, chapter 22, in The Vanity of Dogmatizing‎^[3], London: Henry Eversden, pages 214–215:

     […] if we contemplate a vegetable in its material principle, and look on it as made of earth; we must have the true Theory of the nature of that Element, or we miserably fail of our Scientifical aspirings,

   • 1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, No. 44, 18 August, 1750, in Volume 2, London: J. Payne and J. Bouquet, 1752, pp. 83-84,^[4]

     […] to the aspirings of unassuming trust, and filial confidence, are set no bounds.

   • 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Revolt of Islam‎^[5], London: C. and J. Ollier, Canto 4, stanza 12, p. 81:

     From whatsoe’er my wakened thoughts create
     Out of the hopes of thine aspirings bold,
     Have I collected language to unfold
     Truth to my countrymen;

Anagrams

• pairings, praising