ambitious

[ am-bish-uhs ]

adjective

1. having ambition; eagerly desirous of achieving or obtaining success, power, wealth, a specific goal, etc.:

   The school is known for its ambitious students.

   Antonyms: lackadaisical, apathetic

2. showing or caused by ambition or an earnest desire for achievement or distinction:

   This season saw an ambitious attempt to break the record for number of wins in a single season.

3. strongly desirous; eager:

   It is common for children to be ambitious of love and approval.

4. requiring exceptional effort, ability, etc.:

   The candidate is proposing an ambitious program for eliminating all slums.

ambitious

/ æmˈbɪʃəs /

adjective

1. having a strong desire for success or achievement; wanting power, money, etc
2. necessitating extraordinary effort or ability

   an ambitious project

3. often foll by of having a great desire (for something or to do something)

Derived Forms

• amˈbitiously, adverb
• amˈbitiousness, noun

Other Words From

• am·bitious·ly adverb
• am·bitious·ness noun
• nonam·bitious adjective
• nonam·bitious·ly adverb
• nonam·bitious·ness noun
• over·am·bitious adjective
• over·am·bitious·ly adverb
• over·am·bitious·ness noun
• unam·bitious adjective
• unam·bitious·ly adverb
• unam·bitious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ambitious¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin ambitiōsus, equivalent to ambiti(ō) ambition + -ōsus -ous

Synonym Study

Ambitious, aspiring, enterprising describe a person who wishes to rise above their present position or condition. The ambitious person wishes to attain worldly success, and puts forth effort toward this end: ambitious for social position. The enterprising person, interested especially in wealth, is characterized by energy and daring in undertaking projects. The aspiring person wishes to rise (mentally or spiritually) to a higher level or plane, or to attain some end above ordinary expectations.

Example Sentences

This is a Hollywood director at the height of his powers creating original, wildly ambitious epics.

From The Daily Beast

“We broke off shortly after because we were more ambitious,” says Lean.

From The Daily Beast

The Facebook co-founder and his politically ambitious husband embodied all the attributes of a bona fide “gay power couple.”

From The Daily Beast

As part of their ambitious film schedule, Marvel has cast British actor Benedict Cumberbatch to play the doctor in 2016.

From The Daily Beast

Sailor Moon Crystal is a more ambitious retelling of multiple Sailor Moon story arcs.

From The Daily Beast

“Chaplet”—a wreath or garland signed for by him in his ambitious hopes—expresses his birth-date by Con.

From Project Gutenberg

Gascony has ever been the mother of ambitious men, and many a ruler has she supplied to France.

From Project Gutenberg

And there may be other works whose abstracts are available to the ambitious student.

From Project Gutenberg

Yes, on the whole, I was more fortunate than had my ambitious hopes been realised to the full.

From Project Gutenberg

He is not worshipped in any temple, having lost this prerogative on account of his ambitious desire to find out the Supreme Being.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• arduous
• bold
• challenging
• demanding
• difficult
• energetic
• grandiose
• impressive
• visionary