• IPA: /eɪm/

aim (plural aims)

1. The pointing of a weapon, as a gun, a dart, or an arrow, or object, in the line of direction with the object intended to be struck; the line of fire; the direction of anything, such as a spear, a blow, a discourse, a remark, towards a particular point or object, with a view to strike or affect it.

   Take time with the aim of your gun.

   to take aim

2. The point intended to be hit, or object intended to be attained or affected.
3. Intention or goal

   My number one aim in life is to make money to make my parents, siblings and kids happy.

   Synonyms: purpose, design, scheme

   • 1891, Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man Under Socialism

     There is no doubt at all that this is the future of machinery, and just as trees grow while the country gentleman is asleep, so while Humanity will be amusing itself, or enjoying cultivated leisure which, and not labour, is the aim of man - or making beautiful things, or reading beautiful things, or simply contemplating the world with admiration and delight, machinery will be doing all the necessary and unpleasant work.

4. The ability of someone to aim straight; one's faculty for being able to hit a physical target

   The police officer has excellent aim, always hitting the bullseye in shooting practice.

5. (obsolete) Conjecture; guess.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Ivlivs Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene ii]:

     What you would work me to, I have some aim.

• (intention) aspiration, design, end, ettle, intention, mint, object, purpose, scheme, scope, tendency; See also Thesaurus:goal or Thesaurus:intention

• Portuguese: pontaria, mira
• Russian: мишень
• Spanish: puntería

• French: cible
• German: Ziel
• Portuguese: alvo
• Russian: цель
• Spanish: objetivo

• French: objectif, ambition
• German: Ziel
• Italian: obiettivo
• Portuguese: objetivo
• Russian: цель
• Spanish: objetivo, intención

aim (aims, present participle aiming; past and past participle aimed)

1. (intransitive) To point or direct a missile, or a weapon which propels as missile, towards an object or spot with the intent of hitting it

   He aimed at the target, but the arrow flew straight over it.

2. (intransitive) To direct the intention or purpose; to attempt the accomplishment of a purpose; to try to gain; to endeavor;—followed by at, or by an infinitive

   to aim at a pass

   to aim to do well in life

3. (transitive) To direct or point (e.g. a weapon), at a particular object; to direct, as a missile, an act, or a proceeding, at, to, or against an object

   to aim an arrow at the deer

   She aimed a punch at her ex-boyfriend.

4. (transitive) To direct (something verbal) towards a certain person, thing, or group

   to aim a satirical comment at Communists in general

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To guess or conjecture.

• French: viser
• German: zielen
• Italian: puntare, mirare
• Portuguese: mirar, apontar
• Russian: це́литься
• Spanish: apuntar, dirigir, lazar

• French: viser, cibler
• Italian: puntare, tendere
• Portuguese: apontar, almejar
• Russian: стреми́ться
• Spanish: apuntar, pretender

1. Initialism of America Online AIM; AOL Instant Messenger.

1. (ESA, space) Initialism of Asteroid Impact Mission
   • „Launched in October 2020, AIM will travel to a binary asteroid system – the paired Didymos asteroids, which will come a comparatively close 11 million km to Earth in 2022. The 800 m-diameter main body is orbited by a 170 m moon, informally called ‘Didymoon’.“
2. (Internet) Initialism of AOL#English|AOL Instant Messenger.
3. (NASA, space) Initialism of aeronomy#English|Aeronomy of ice#English|Ice in the mesosphere#English|Mesosphere - a NASA spacecraft