Meanings
aspiration1
nounaspiration (countable and uncountable, plural aspirations)
plural aspirations
- countableuncountableThe act of aspiring or ardently desiring; an ardent wish or desire, chiefly after what is elevated or spiritual (with common adjunct adpositions being to and of).
Riley has an aspiration to become a doctor.
2 more examples
Morgan has an aspiration of winning the game.
TfL retains aspirations to further increase frequency on the ELL [East London Line] to 24tph, which would require a switch from conventional signalling to a digital railway solution involving automatic train operation on the core section.
2019 October, “Funding for 20tph East London Line service”, in Modern Railways, page 18
aspiration2
nounaspiration (countable and uncountable, plural aspirations)
plural aspirations
- countableuncountableThe action of aspirating.
- countableuncountablemedicineThe withdrawal of fluid, tissue, or other substance, usually through a hollow needle from a body cavity, cyst, or tumor.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe silent breaking h beginning some French words, largely of Germanic origin.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe process of lenition involving writing a digraph with h, especially at the beginning of a word.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
aspiration · noun
- Latinaspīrātiō
- Englishaspiration
From aspirate + -ion or borrowed from Latin aspīrātiō.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أَمَل, رَشْف
- أَمَل (ʔamal)hope or ambition
- رَشْف (rašf)action of aspirating
- زَفْر (zafr)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Bengali তামান্না
- তামান্না (tamanna)hope or ambition
Bulgarian стреме́ж, амби́ция
- стреме́ж (streméž)hope or ambition
- амби́ция (ambícija)hope or ambition
- придиха́ние (pridihánie)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Catalan aspiració, aspiració
- aspiracióhope or ambition
- aspiracióaction of aspirating
- aspiracióburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Chinese Mandarin 希望, 送氣 /送气
- 希望 (xīwàng)hope or ambition
- 送氣 /送气 (sòngqì)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Czech aspirace, touha
- aspiracehope or ambition
- touhahope or ambition
- tužbahope or ambition
Finnish pyrkimys, aspiraatio
- pyrkimyshope or ambition
- aspiraatioburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
French aspiration, aspiration
- aspirationhope or ambition
- aspirationaction of aspirating
- aspirationburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
German Verlangen, Sehnsucht
- Verlangenhope or ambition
- Sehnsuchthope or ambition
- Aspirationhope or ambition
- Behauchungburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
- Aspirationburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Greek φιλοδοξία, ιδανικό
- φιλοδοξία (filodoxía)hope or ambition
- ιδανικό (idanikó)hope or ambition
- δάσυνση (dásynsi)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Icelandic áblásning
- áblásningburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Irish ardaidhm, ardmhian
- ardaidhmhope or ambition
- ardmhianhope or ambition
- barrmhianhope or ambition
- análúburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
- asúmedicine: withdrawal of fluid
Japanese 希望, 吸引
- 希望 (kibō)hope or ambition
- 吸引 (kyūin)action of aspirating
- 気音 (kion)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Korean 열망, 염원
- 열망 (yeolmang)hope or ambition
- 염원 (yeomwon)hope or ambition
- 포부 (pobu)hope or ambition
- 희망 (huimang)hope or ambition
Māori matanā, tāpara
- matanāhope or ambition
- tāparahope or ambition
- tūmanakotangahope or ambition
- matawarahope or ambition
- korongahope or ambition
- awatahope or ambition
- maingohope or ambition
- pīrangihope or ambition
Norwegian aspirering
- aspireringburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Persian دمش
- دمش (dameš)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Polish ambicja, aspiracja
- ambicjahope or ambition
- aspiracjahope or ambition
- pragnieniehope or ambition
- aspiracjaburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
- przydechburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Portuguese aspiração, aspiração
- aspiraçãohope or ambition
- aspiraçãoaction of aspirating
- aspiraçãoburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Romanian aspirație, aspirare
- aspirațieaction of aspirating
- aspirareaction of aspirating
- inspirațieaction of aspirating
Russian стремле́ние, наде́жда
- стремле́ние (stremlénije)hope or ambition
- наде́жда (nadéžda)hope or ambition
- амби́ция (ambícija)hope or ambition
- придыха́ние (pridyxánije)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
- аспира́ция (aspirácija)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Scottish Gaelic dèidh
- dèidhhope or ambition
Slovak ašpirácia, vdýchnutie
- ašpiráciahope or ambition
- vdýchnutieaction of aspirating
- nasatieaction of aspirating
- aspiráciaburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Spanish aspiración, aspiración
- aspiraciónhope or ambition
- aspiraciónaction of aspirating
Thai ความปรารถนา, ปณิธาน
- ความปรารถนา (kwaam-bpràat-tà-nǎa)hope or ambition
- ปณิธาน (bpà-ní-taan)hope or ambition
Ukrainian пра́гнення, наді́я
- пра́гнення (práhnennja)hope or ambition
- наді́я (nadíja)hope or ambition
- амбі́ція (ambícija)hope or ambition
- аспіра́ція (aspirácija)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
- при́дих (prýdyx)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Urdu ہکاریت
- ہکاریت (hakāriyat)burst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Welsh llaes
- llaesburst of air that follows the release of some consonants
Yiddish שטרעבן
- שטרעבן (shtrebn)hope or ambition
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with aspiration
informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
aspiration. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aspiration
MLA
“aspiration.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aspiration. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aspiration,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aspiration.
Source: aspiration on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.