aspire

aspire — verb

1. to strongly desire a major accomplishment or a particular life role — for exampl

1.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to strongly desire a major accomplishment or a particular life role — for example, to become a doctor, a leader, or an artist — usually requiring long-term effort and dedication.

例句

Élise aspired to become a professional violinist after years of intense training.

aspire + to-infinitive for personal ambition

Many young teachers aspire to a leadership role like principal or department head.

aspire + to + noun (career target)

同義詞
  • aim

    more concrete and specific; you aim at a particular result, whereas you aspire to a broader ideal or role

  • strive

    focuses on the effort and struggle involved, whereas aspire highlights the desire

  • seek

    more neutral and general; can apply to short-term or everyday objectives

  • dream

    less active and more wishful; can imply absence of a realistic plan

反義詞
  • abandon

    to give up an ambition or goal entirely

  • settle

    to accept a lower standard than what one hoped for, rather than striving for more

文法句型

aspire + to-infinitive

aspire + to + noun

用法筆記

Always intransitive — the goal is introduced by to (aspire to greatness / aspire to become a lawyer). Less common in everyday conversation than in formal writing, such as college applications, political speeches, or career profiles. The closely related noun aspiration is very common.

常見錯誤

❌She aspires becoming a journalist.
✅She aspires to become a journalist.
💡'aspire' must be followed by 'to' + infinitive or 'to' + noun, never a gerund.
❌He aspired wealth and fame.
✅He aspired to wealth and fame.
💡'aspire' is intransitive; the target of the ambition must be linked by 'to'.
❌The speech inspired me to aspire for greatness.
✅The speech inspired me to aspire to greatness.
💡Although 'aim for' is correct, 'aspire to' is the standard preposition.