ambitious

UK: /æmˈbɪʃəs/ US: /æmˈbɪʃəs/ ,(am bish′əs)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

am•bi•tious /æmˈbɪʃəs/   adj. 

1. characterized by ambition:
   an ambitious lawyer.
2. requiring a great deal of effort, cost, ability, etc.:
   an ambitious program for fighting crime.

am•bi•tious•ly, adv. 
am•bi•tious•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

am•bi•tious  (am bish′əs), adj. 

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.

• Latin ambitiōsus, equivalent. to ambiti(ō) ambition + -ōsus -ous
• Middle English 1350–1400

am•bi′tious•ly, adv. 
am•bi′tious•ness, n. 
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.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ambitious / æmˈbɪʃəs/ adjective

1. having a strong desire for success or achievement; wanting power, money, etc
2. necessitating extraordinary effort or ability: an ambitious project
3. (often followed by of) having a great desire (for something or to do something)

amˈbitiousness noun