B1adjective2K

Ambitious

UK /["/æmˈbɪʃəs/"]/US /["/æmˈbɪʃəs/"]/

Definition

determined to be successful, rich, powerful, etc.

In simple words: Wanting to achieve a lot or succeed

Examples

  • She is very ambitious and always strives to achieve her goals.
  • His ambitious plans for the company impressed the investors.
  • The ambitious student stayed up late to complete her project.
  • Many ambitious people take risks to reach their dreams.
  • Their ambitious project is set to transform the industry.

Usage notes

Use 'ambitious' to describe a person's goals or plans. It's appropriate in both personal and professional contexts but may seem too strong in casual conversations.

Grammar pattern

ambitious + object

Memory hint

Think of 'a big fish'—ambitious people want to swim in the big pond of success.

Collocations

  • be
  • seem
  • extremely
  • fairly
  • very
  • for
  • be
  • seem
  • extremely
  • fairly
  • very
  • in

Synonyms

  • determined
  • aspiring
  • driven
  • goal-oriented
  • enterprising

Antonyms

  • unambitious
  • complacent
  • laid-back

Common mistakes

  • Using 'ambitious' to describe a person's character without context
  • Confusing 'ambitious' with 'greedy' which has a negative connotation
  • Mispronouncing the word, often stressing the wrong syllable