aspiration

/ˌæspəˈreɪʃən/
noun
  1. A strong desire, hope, or ambition to achieve something great.
    • The young athlete's main aspiration was to compete in the Olympics.
    • Her aspiration is to become a doctor and help people.
    • Many people have the aspiration to travel the world and learn new cultures.
  2. The act of drawing fluid, air, or a foreign object into the lungs or out of a body cavity.
    • The doctor performed an aspiration to drain the abscess.
    • Swallowing therapy can help prevent aspiration in elderly patients.
    • Aspiration of food into the lungs can cause pneumonia.
  3. The pronunciation of a sound with a burst of breath.
    • The aspiration of the 'p' in 'pin' distinguishes it from the 'p' in 'spin'.
    • In some dialects, aspiration of certain consonants is very strong.
    • Linguists study aspiration to understand how different languages use breath.
Antonyms
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