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ambitious

 - 2 dictionary results

am⋅bi⋅tious

  [am-bish-uhs]
Use ambitious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. having ambition; eagerly desirous of achieving or obtaining success, power, wealth, a specific goal, etc.: ambitious students.
2. showing or caused by ambition: an ambitious attempt to break the record.
3. strongly desirous; eager: ambitious of love and approval.
4. requiring exceptional effort, ability, etc.: an ambitious program for eliminating all slums.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L ambitiōsus, equiv. to ambiti(ō) ambition + -ōsus -ous

Related forms:
am⋅bi⋅tious⋅ly, adverb
am⋅bi⋅tious⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. Ambitious, aspiring, enterprising describe a person who wishes to rise above his or her 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.

Antonyms:
1. apathetic, lackadaisical.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To ambitious
am·bi·tious   (ām-bĭsh'əs)   
adj.  

  1. Full of, characterized by, or motivated by ambition.

  2. Greatly desirous; eager: "I am not ambitious of ridicule" (Edmund Burke).

  3. Requiring or showing much effort; challenging: an ambitious schedule.

am·bi'tious·ly adv., am·bi'tious·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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