Vocabulary: aspire

Today's vocabulary is useful for talking about dreams.

Aspire  is a verb. It means to try to achieve a goal, or hope to become something. We always say aspire to something.

When I was young, I aspired to be a writer. A lot of young people aspire to fame or wealth. A serious businessperson might aspire to leadership.

This is a little different from 'hope' or 'dream'. If you 'aspire', you are serious about it and want to work to reach your goal.

You can also use the adjective aspiring or the noun aspiration:

 She is an aspiring actress. (=She is hoping and trying to be an actress.)

I have a lot of aspirations: to be a singer, to be a good teacher, and one day, to be a good mother.

How about you? What do you aspire to? What were your aspirations as a child?