ambitious

adjective

am·​bi·​tious am-ˈbi-shəs 

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

Synonyms of ambitious

• aspiring

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

The new partnership marks the most ambitious collaboration between HRTS and Easterseals Disability Services to date, with the organizations previously joining forces on numerous initiatives aiming to improve accessibility in the entertainment industry and authentic representation on screen. —Arushi Jacob, Variety, 18 June 2026

The Depot and the Moline are two pieces of an ambitious project, led by developer SomeraRoad, to rehab historic buildings with new apartments while improving public spaces and bringing in new businesses. —Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026

The lofty valuation for the company that has become dominant in satellites through its Starlink service and reusable rockets has raised questions about its ambitious growth plans. —Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 17 June 2026

If completed as planned, the facility will become one of the world’s most ambitious efforts to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer at industrial scale. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 June 2026

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

Phrases Containing ambitious

• ambitious for

Rhymes for ambitious

• adventitious
• cementitious
• expeditious
• inauspicious
• injudicious
• meretricious
• repetitious
• superstitious
• surreptitious
• unambitious
• unpropitious
• unsuspicious

Kids Definition

ambitious

adjective

am·​bi·​tious am-ˈbish-əs 

1

: controlled by or having ambition

ambitious to be captain of the team

2

: showing ambition

an ambitious plan

ambitiously adverb