ASPIRING Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

aspiring 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈspī-riŋ

Definition of aspiring

as in ambitious

having a strong desire for personal advancement an aspiring young pianist eager to win the prestigious competition

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

aspiring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of aspire

as in planning

to have in mind as a purpose or goal aspire to great deeds, and you have a better chance of doing good deeds

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in rising

to move or extend upward a tower aspiring towards the heavens

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of aspiring

Adjective

Jennifer Peedom first visited the Himalayas over 20 years ago as an aspiring filmmaker, tagging along with a friend who was working on an Everest expedition. — Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026 Silver Bells at Christmas is centered around Ginny Nolan (Osnes), a former aspiring country music songwriter who now runs her late mother’s Christmas shop in the fictional town of Comfort, Kentucky. — Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

Marc came from the apparel industry and had an unsuccessful run as a Republican candidate for the Connecticut State Senate in 2018; Heidi was a former model and personal trainer; and Dixie, three years older than Charli, was an aspiring singer. — Nancy Jo Sales, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 James encourages the aspiring to experiment, examine their photographs and footage, and ask themselves why something works or doesn’t. — Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aspiring

Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiring

Adjective

Best known for his ambitious documentary features, Kapadia described the process of adapting to the rigors of television production.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Tesla’s second-generation Roadster pairs ambitious performance hardware with a cockpit interface designed around driving data.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambitious

Verb

All three men are planning to address the court, and their attorneys will give a presentation on each brother’s behalf, according to court filings.

— Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
The company is planning to launch a handful of new shows over the next few months, with a longer-term goal of having 12-16 channels led by creators who are subject matter experts.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of planning

Verb

Fighting autocracy and inequality The Ford Foundation frames its new plan as its answer to rising autocracy, widening inequality, and fading public trust.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
This was in 2024 and 2025, when the AI craze was in full swing and Claude and ChatGPT adoption was rising.

— Brian Jenney, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of rising

Verb

Lane was intending to offer contemporary fiction of the sort published in hardback for 7s 6d at a much lower paperback price.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
But Paltrow and Johnson became close friends, with Paltrow reportedly intending to maintain their bond after the breakup.

— Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of intending

Verb

And even locally, there’s a distinct difference between this season and last season, when the Magic had just traded for Desmond Bane and fans were giddy about the possibilities of a young, ascending team.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
The single begins with Timothée Chalamet humming before ascending into the war chant.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ascending

Verb

Ceramides support the skin barrier, while squalane and fatty acids help lock in moisture for a smoother, glowier-looking neck.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
Researchers found that some counterfeit devices even reported legitimate looking Samsung model identifiers.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of looking

Verb

With prices climbing faster than paychecks, small changes to everyday spending can help stretch your budget.

— Dan Avery, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Go plays Park Hyun-tae, an executive director in Chronic Motors’ Seoul office who has come back from the company’s European headquarters after climbing the corporate ladder at a young age.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of climbing

Browse Nearby Words

aspires

aspiring

asps

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Aspiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiring. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of aspiring

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes