ambitious
adjective
am·bi·tious
am-ˈbi-shəs 
1
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
The 98th Academy Awards was the first ceremony in years where the races had actual stakes in a showdown between Sinners and One Battle After Another, two ambitious trips through American history.
—
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
State lawmakers have set ambitious goals to get people out of their cars.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The friction between Space Florida and NASA hovers over the federal agency’s most ambitious mission in half a century — Artemis II, slated for takeoff next month.
—Katelyn Ferral, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Her family scheduled their most ambitious sightseeing early, temples, canals, tuk-tuks, and a bustling flower market that held special meaning given her father’s career as a florist.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambitious
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
State lawmakers have set ambitious goals to get people out of their cars.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The friction between Space Florida and NASA hovers over the federal agency’s most ambitious mission in half a century — Artemis II, slated for takeoff next month.
—Katelyn Ferral, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Her family scheduled their most ambitious sightseeing early, temples, canals, tuk-tuks, and a bustling flower market that held special meaning given her father’s career as a florist.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambitious
Cite this Entry
“Ambitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambitious. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
