ambitious

UK /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/ US /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/ Syllables: am-bi-tious

Pronunciation

Adjective B2 Upper-intermediate Neutral

Having a strong desire to achieve success, power, or a difficult goal.

Ambitious describes a person who has strong goals and works hard to reach them, or a plan that is big and difficult. An ambitious student wants the top marks, an ambitious company wants to become a world leader, and an ambitious project aims high. The word is usually positive, but it can sound negative when someone seems to want success at any cost.

"She set an ambitious target of finishing the marathon in under four hours."

Meanings

Having a strong wish to succeed.
Needing a lot of effort and skill to achieve.

Example sentences

"She is an ambitious young lawyer."

Level B2, Meaning 1
"The company has ambitious plans to grow."

Level B2, Meaning 2
"It is an ambitious project, but it is possible."

Level B2, Meaning 2
"He was too ambitious and tried to do everything at once."

Level C1, Meaning 1

Synonyms and antonyms

Synonyms

driven aspiring

Antonyms

unambitious complacent

Look-alikes and common mistakes

eager : Eager means keen to do or get something soon. Ambitious means you aim for a high, long-term goal.

Word family and forms

ambition ambitiously unambitious overambitious

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "ambitious".

an ambitious plan
highly ambitious
ambitious goals
an ambitious young man
ambitious targets
too ambitious

Origin

Ambitious comes through French from Latin ambitiosus. The Latin noun ambitio first meant going around, as a candidate went around to ask for votes, and later it came to mean a strong wish for success or honor.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Dictionary.com.

How to remember it

Think of a climber with a big goal: ambitious people aim for the top.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "She is an _____ young lawyer."

Answer: ambitious

In your own words, what does "ambitious" mean?