aspiring
English
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]- Rhymes: -aɪəɹɪŋ
Adjective
[edit]aspiring (not comparable)
- Hoping to become.
- 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
[edit]Verb
[edit]aspiring
- present participle and gerund of aspire
Derived terms
[edit]Noun
[edit]aspiring (plural aspirings)
- (archaic) Aspiration.
- 1661, Joseph Glanvill, chapter XXII, in The Vanity of Dogmatizing: Or Confidence in Opinions. […], London: […] E. C[otes] for Henry Eversden […], →OCLC, 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 August 29 (Gregorian calendar), Samuel Johnson, “No. [44]. Saturday, August 18. 1750.”, in The Rambler, volume II, Edinburgh: [[…] Sands, Murray, and Cochran]; sold by W. Gordon, C. Wright, J. Yair, […], published 1750, →OCLC, page 142:
- […] to the aſpirings of unaſſuming truſt and filial confidence, are ſet no bounds.
- 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Canto Fourth”, in The Revolt of Islam; […], London: […] [F]or C[harles] and J[ames] Ollier, […]; by B[uchanan] M‘Millan, […], →OCLC, stanza XII, page 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; […]