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

Faf du Plessis, captaining the Texas Super Kings, is at the forefront of Major League Cricket's ambitious bid to establish cricket in the US. — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026

That same year, Wolfram set out on an ambitious new direction in science aimed at understanding the origins of complexity in nature. — Big Think, 4 Aug. 2026

The company is set to unveil even more ambitious plans for its own beauty offer, and its third-party brands, in the fall, part of a wider, multimillion-pound investment in its nationwide store portfolio. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2026

Even so, the Alfa remains one of the most technologically ambitious submarines ever placed into service. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 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