ambitious

adjective

am·​bi·​tious am-ˈbi-shəs How to pronounce ambitious (audio)
1
a
: having or controlled by ambition : having a desire to be successful, powerful, or famous
an ambitious young executive
b
: having a desire to achieve a particular goal : aspiring
ambitious for power
2
: resulting from, characterized by, or showing ambition
an ambitious film
ambitiously adverb
ambitiousness noun

Examples of ambitious in a Sentence

The company was created by two very ambitious young men in the early 1900s. This 500-page book is her most ambitious effort yet. Your plans for the future are very ambitious. It was too ambitious a task for just one person.
Recent Examples on the Web Though Colt performs a few truly impressive stunts on camera, his riskiest behavior occurs far from Jody’s cameras, aided by blockbuster-quoting stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (Winston Duke) and Tom’s ambitious personal assistant, Alma Milan (Stephanie Hsu). Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 But, unfortunately, Hollywood hype rescued this latest, most ambitious treachery. Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024 Earlier this month, workers labored for a week to dismantle the gargantuan glass tank as a construction crew prepared to transform the lobby yet again — this time as part of an extensive $100 million renovation, which the waterfront hotel’s management boasts is its most ambitious ever. Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 Like many in Brazil, Ms. Toni pointed to the cautionary example of neighboring Colombia, whose president embarked on an ambitious plan, the first for any oil-producing country, to phase out its production of the fossil fuel. Max Bearak, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 A number of proposals that have been floated for reconstruction and redevelopment of the still-functioning port have floundered, including an ambitious plan suggested in 2021 by a group of German companies to redevelop the port alongside new commercial and residential developments. Abby Sewell, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Chinese leaders presiding over the event were keen to project confidence in the economy, rolling out an ambitious economic growth target of around 5% for 2024, but without announcing any major stimulus measures to increase flagging consumption. Simone McCarthy, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Russ Wiles Arizona utility Salt River Project has revised its long-term sustainability goals with more ambitious targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions, support the adoption of more electric vehicles and reduce the amount of water used to generate power. The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Researchers found companies with some of the most ambitious climate policies are among the worst offenders. Mike Scott, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ambitious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ambicious "overweening, craving," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French ambicieus "striving for success, seeking glory," borrowed from Latin ambitiōsus "anxious to win favor, eager for advancement," from ambitiō "act of soliciting for votes, desire for advancement" + -ōsus -ous — more at ambition entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ambitious was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ambitious

Cite this Entry

“Ambitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambitious. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ambitious

adjective
am·​bi·​tious am-ˈbish-əs How to pronounce ambitious (audio)
1
: controlled by or having ambition
ambitious to be captain of the team
2
: showing ambition
an ambitious plan
ambitiously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ambitious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!