ambitious

ambitious — adjective

1. wanting very much to achieve important things in work or life, and to rise to a

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

wanting very much to achieve important things in work or life, and to rise to a high level

Example

Ravi is ambitious and hopes to lead the hospital one day.

be ambitious and hope to + verb

Even in high school, Daniel was ambitious about his future career.

ambitious about + noun

Common collocations
  • ambitious about her career
  • ambitious enough to apply
  • an ambitious student
  • an ambitious young lawyer
Synonyms
  • driven

    stronger about constant energy and hard work

  • determined

    focuses on not giving up, not necessarily on status or success

  • aspiring

    often used for someone hoping to enter a career or field

Antonyms
  • unambitious

    direct opposite; lacking a wish to achieve more

  • content

    suggests being satisfied and not seeking a higher position

Usage Note

Usually used about people and their attitude to work or life. For plans, projects, or goals that are hard because they are large or demanding, use sense 2.

Common Mistakes

Mina is ambitious for become a judge.
Mina is ambitious and wants to become a judge.
Do not use 'for' before a verb.

2. planned on a very large scale, so it will take a lot of skill, time, or money to

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

planned on a very large scale, so it will take a lot of skill, time, or money to carry out well

Example

Building a new subway line in two years is ambitious.

project judged difficult because of scale

The mayor presented an ambitious plan to clean every river.

ambitious + plan

Common collocations
  • an ambitious plan
  • an ambitious goal
  • an ambitious project
  • an ambitious timetable
Synonyms
  • bold

    suggests confidence and willingness to take risks

  • demanding

    emphasizes the effort needed more than the size of the goal

  • far-reaching

    focuses on wide effect or scope

Antonyms

Usage Note

Common with nouns like plan, project, goal, and programme. Unlike sense 1, it does not describe a person's wish for success, but the size and difficulty of what is being attempted.

Common Mistakes

The plan is ambitious, so it should be easy to finish this afternoon.
The plan is ambitious, so it may take months to finish.
'Ambitious' suggests a large, demanding aim, not an easy one.

Word family

  • ambition
    nounB2
  • ambitiously
    adverbC1
  • unambitious
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For sense 1, ambitious focuses on wanting a high level of success, influence, or achievement. Driven is stronger about daily energy and hard work: a driven manager keeps pushing every task forward. Determined highlights not giving up after problems, even when the goal is small. Aspiring is often used for someone at the beginning of a career, such as an aspiring actor or writer. Enterprising adds the idea of taking practical, bold action, especially in business. So an ambitious student may dream of becoming a judge, while a driven student studies every night to get there. Say an aspiring singer for someone hoping to enter the field, but an ambitious singer when the focus is on becoming very successful.

driven ↗determined ↗aspiringenterprising ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • highly ambitious
  • overly ambitious

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Ambitious came into English through French from Latin words connected with going around to win support. In ancient Rome, people seeking office would walk around speaking to voters, so the Latin idea developed into the sense of trying hard for honour or power. That later produced English ambitious, first for people eager to rise, and then for plans that aim very high.