mwambutsa iv
B1Formal and informal. More common in formal, business, and academic contexts, but fully acceptable in everyday speech.
Definition
Meaning
Having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed, achieve something significant, or gain power, status, or wealth.
Can also describe plans or goals that are difficult to achieve because they require great effort, skill, or resources. This extended sense sometimes has a neutral or slightly negative connotation (e.g., 'an ambitious project' might be unrealistic).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The adjective can modify both people and things (plans, projects, targets). When describing a person, it often has a positive connotation (hard-working, driven). When describing a plan/project, it can be neutral (requiring great effort) or slightly negative (overly optimistic, unrealistic).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. Slight tendency for 'ambitious' to be used more frequently in American business/self-help contexts.
Connotations
Generally positive in both, implying drive and potential. Can have a slight negative connotation of ruthlessness or excessive desire in specific contexts (e.g., 'ambitious social climber'), equally possible in both varieties.
Frequency
Comparable frequency; very common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be ambitious FOR [something] (He is ambitious for his children)be ambitious TO [do something] (She is ambitious to become CEO)ambitious [in] (He's ambitious in his career goals)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “burning ambition”
- “ambition knows no bounds”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Commonly used to describe employees, corporate targets, or expansion plans (e.g., 'an ambitious quarterly target').
Academic
Used to describe research scope, theoretical frameworks, or a student's aspirations (e.g., 'an ambitious thesis topic').
Everyday
Used to describe someone's career or personal goals (e.g., 'She's very ambitious; she wants to run her own company').
Technical
Rare in highly technical fields except in management/project contexts describing scope (e.g., 'an ambitious software release schedule').
Examples
By Part of Speech
adverb
British English
- She worked ambitiously towards her promotion.
- The project was ambitiously scoped from the outset.
American English
- He campaigned ambitiously for the new position.
- The startup is ambitiously targeting the European market.
adjective
British English
- His ambitious plans for a new arts centre were finally approved by the council.
- She's a fiercely ambitious journalist, always chasing the biggest stories.
American English
- The company set an ambitious goal of doubling its revenue in three years.
- He's politically ambitious and is already eyeing a Senate run.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She is ambitious and wants to be a doctor.
- It was an ambitious plan to build the house in one month.
- He's very ambitious and hopes to become manager soon.
- The government has announced an ambitious new programme to reduce poverty.
- While her ambitious nature drove the team's success, some found her management style overly demanding.
- The novel's ambitious structure, weaving together three separate timelines, was not entirely successful.
- Critics dismissed the policy as politically ambitious but fundamentally unworkable given the fiscal constraints.
- Her ambitiously conceived doctoral thesis challenged several long-held assumptions in the field.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of AMBITious: it's about having a wide AMBIT (scope or range) for your goals.
Conceptual Metaphor
AMBITION IS A FIRE (a burning ambition), A JOURNEY (on the path to success), A CONTAINER (filled with ambition), UP (climbing the ladder).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating 'амбициозный' in all contexts, as the Russian word can have a stronger negative connotation of arrogance. English 'ambitious' is more neutral/positive. Use 'arrogant' or 'conceited' for the negative sense.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'ambitious' as a noun (INCORRECT: 'He has a big ambitious'; CORRECT: 'He has a big ambition' or 'He is very ambitious').
- Confusing 'ambitious' (wanting success) with 'ambiguous' (unclear).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'ambitious' have a potentially negative connotation?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually yes, when describing a person's character. It means they are hard-working and determined. However, context matters; it can imply excessive or ruthless desire if used with certain modifiers (e.g., 'ruthlessly ambitious').
'Aspiring' simply means wanting to achieve a specific role or status (an aspiring actor). 'Ambitious' is broader, describing a strong, general desire for success and the driven personality behind it. An aspiring actor might or might not be ambitious.
Yes, very commonly. An 'ambitious plan', 'ambitious project', or 'ambitious goal' is one that is large-scale, difficult, and requires a lot of effort to achieve.
The noun is 'ambition'. Example: 'His ambition is to start his own company.'