aspiration
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a strong hope or wish to achieve something important or high-level.
a strong desire or ambition to achieve something, typically something elevated or spiritual in nature.
Simple“Her lifelong aspiration was to become a doctor and help people in her village.”
In context“The university's new scholarship programme aims to support the academic aspirations of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'to' or 'of'.
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the sound of a small breath that comes out when you say certain letters, like 'p' or 't'.
the audible breath that accompanies the release of a stop consonant.
Simple“In English, the letter 'p' at the start of 'pin' has a strong aspiration.”
In context“The linguist noted that the speaker's lack of aspiration on initial voiceless stops was characteristic of a specific regional accent.”
UsageUncountable when referring to the general phenomenon; countable when referring to a specific instance.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
the act of removing fluid or tissue from the body using a needle.
the removal of fluids or gases from a body cavity or the suction of tissue samples through a needle.
Simple“The doctor performed a needle aspiration to check the lump for infection.”
In context“Fine-needle aspiration is a common diagnostic procedure used to determine whether a thyroid nodule is benign or malignant.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
accidentally breathing food or liquid into your lungs instead of swallowing it.
the act of inhaling foreign material into the lungs or respiratory tract.
Simple“The nurse monitored the patient closely to prevent the aspiration of fluids into the lungs.”
In context“Patients with swallowing difficulties are at a significantly higher risk of pulmonary aspiration, which can lead to pneumonia.”
Synonyms
“Even if that improves as the season goes on, it’s a problem if City have title aspirations; how far clear will Arsenal be by the time City finally click – if they do click?”
“These friezes reflected the aspirations of the nation’s leaders to place America on the continuum of great civilizations.”
From aspire + -ation.
From aspirate + -ion or borrowed from Latin aspīrātiō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.