Word
ambitious
Phoneticsam·bi·tious, stress on the second syllable
US/æmˈbɪʃəs/
UK/æmbˈɪʃəs/
Definitions
01personally driven
B1 · Intermediate
adj. having a strong desire to be successful, powerful, or famous.
adj. possessing or exhibiting a strong desire for success, power, or social status.
“She is an ambitious lawyer who hopes to become a judge one day.”
“The company is looking for ambitious graduates who are eager to climb the corporate ladder and take on leadership roles early in their careers.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02difficult to achieve
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. describing a plan or goal that needs a lot of effort and is hard to finish.
adj. requiring exceptional effort, skill, or resources to be successful; high in scope or difficulty.
“The government has an ambitious plan to build ten new hospitals by next year.”
“The architect's ambitious design for the skyscraper pushed the limits of modern engineering and required materials that had never been used on such a scale.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “ambitious” in context.
Verb
01. become ambitious
“After winning the small competition, he became more ambitious about his sports career.”
verb + adj
02. seem ambitious
“The company's plan to double its profits this year might seem ambitious to some.”
verb + adj
Adjective
03. ambitious for
“Many parents are very ambitious for their children's future success.”
adj + prep
04. ambitious project
“Building a new bridge in just six months is a very ambitious project.”
adj + noun
05. ambitious to
“He is ambitious to start his own business before he turns thirty.”
adj + infinitive
06. highly ambitious
“She is a highly ambitious student who hopes to become a doctor one day.”
adv + adj
07. ambitious plans
Etymology
From Middle English ambitious, from Middle French ambitieus, from Latin ambitiosus, from ambitio; see ambition. Compare with French ambitieux.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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