aspiration

A strong wish to achieve something important or become someone you want to be.

• His aspiration is to become a teacher.
• The course helped her achieve her career aspirations.
• What are your aspirations for the next five years?

How to use it: an aspiration to do something (Her aspiration to study medicine shaped her choices.); an aspiration for something (They share an aspiration for a better future.)

Similar words: ambition, goal, dream, aim

Common phrases: career aspiration, personal aspiration, aspiration to succeed

The act of drawing air, liquid, or other material in, especially into the lungs.

• Aspiration can cause breathing problems.
• The nurse checked for signs of aspiration after the patient choked.
• Difficulty swallowing increases the risk of aspiration.

How to use it: aspiration of something into something (Aspiration of food into the lungs can cause infection.)

Similar words: inhalation

Common phrases: pulmonary aspiration, aspiration of food, aspiration risk

Removing liquid or tissue from inside the body by suction, often through a hollow needle.

• The doctor recommended needle aspiration.
• Aspiration removed excess fluid from her knee.
• The tissue sample was collected by aspiration and sent to the laboratory.

How to use it: aspiration of something from something (Aspiration of fluid from the cyst relieved the pain.)

Similar words: suction

Common phrases: needle aspiration, fluid aspiration, aspiration biopsy

A small burst of breath that follows certain speech sounds, such as the first sound in English 'pin'.

• Listen for aspiration after the consonant.
• English speakers often use aspiration at the start of stressed syllables.
• In some languages, aspiration changes a word's meaning.

Common phrases: strong aspiration, consonant aspiration, aspiration of consonants