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Synonym Chooser

How is the word ambition different from other nouns like it?

The words aspiration and pretension are common synonyms of ambition. While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

driven by ambition

When would aspiration be a good substitute for ambition?

Although the words aspiration and ambition have much in common, aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

an aspiration to become president someday

In what contexts can pretension take the place of ambition?

In some situations, the words pretension and ambition are roughly equivalent. However, pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.

has literary pretensions

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ambition The new venture underscores OpenAI’s ever-widening ambitions. J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025 Industry is about naked ambition meeting the limitations of human fallibility. Grace Byron, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025 The film, which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival, centers on gang underlings who, oddly, compete to avoid becoming the boss while pursuing personal ambitions. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025 Unlike the battleship, few war machines have ever embodied national pride, technological ambition, and formidable capability. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ambition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambition
Noun
  • Overall, Venus in Libra will be a whimsical time to embrace our affections and aspirations for a select group of special people or one individual in particular.
    Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 14 Oct. 2025
  • But after falling short against the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series, any feelings of relief will be turning to pressure to reset the roster and refocus on championship aspirations.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The song has been released in partnership with advocacy group GLAAD to celebrate Spirit Day, an annual initiative that harnesses influential voices to stand against the bullying of LGBTQ+ youth and families.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Government investment into cultural initiatives, especially in Saudi Arabia, which is in the throes of its economic diversification plan, Vision 2030, is also propelling new talents onto the international scene.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Officials at the Water Reclamation Authority are pursuing new goals after the utility was officially released last year from a pair of longstanding legal agreements that required the utility to address sewer overflows, leading to major investments across the system.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Before the judges revealed their scores, Leavitt told cohost Julianne Hough that her sole goal in week 6 was to redeem her week 5 stumble during a soulful contemporary routine dedicated to her husband.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This finding suggests that individuals who aren’t naturally gifted often compensate by working harder and with greater determination—and their effort pays off.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • We are united in our determination to dismantle extremism and radicalization in all its forms.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • From textiles to retail spaces, understanding consumer behavior and demand—and transforming those insights into strategic commercial actions—is a vital element of successful design.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Local officials, including Newsom, condemned the President’s actions.
    Chantelle Lee, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • This particular challenge serves many purposes.
    Joe Boylan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Protest-goers told the Idaho Statesman about a variety of motivations for showing up, mostly covering civil liberties — rights for immigrants, women and transgender people — and Trump’s authoritarian actions.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Perhaps more important will be the exploration of the location's past and Robert House's initial motivations.
    Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Pineiro finished off the second half’s opening drive with a 43-yard field goal, pushing the lead to 13-3 and making him 17-of-17 on field-goal attempts since replacing Jake Moody in Week 2.
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Then came four straight touchdown drives, what looked like a crushing response by the Giants and, finally, a walk-off, 39-yard field goal by Broncos kicker Wil Lutz.
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ambition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambition. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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