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 Word Forms

• 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

A recent episode revealed the most mysterious and ambitious of them to have murdered her abusive father.

From Salon

Harari’s ambitious work is the story of us, from our earliest moments as hunter-gatherers, through our greatest challenges and to the advancements that shaped the modern world.

From Los Angeles Times

The price of electric vehicles in the U.S. will likely rise due to the Trump administration’s new tariffs, potentially jeopardizing California’s ambitious climate goals.

From Los Angeles Times

‘Drop,’ a clever Blumhouse thriller mostly set in a restaurant, is the beginning of a more ambitious phase for its star, who remembers struggling to break out.

From Los Angeles Times

Returning director Toby Haynes calls the original “a perfect script, a neat potboiler,” but describes “Into Infinity” as “maybe the most ambitious ‘Black Mirror’ episode ever made.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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