AMBITION Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

ambition

noun

am-ˈbi-shən

Definition of ambition

as in aspiration

eager desire for personal advancement "Talent without ambition will not make you a star," the singer's voice coach liked to remind her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in initiative

readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity the ambition shown by the undersea explorers of the Mariana Trench, the deepest in the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in goal

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish his ambition is to study international business, then get a job overseas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Known for his ambition and talent, Henry is approaching a defining moment in his career. — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026 Interior architects Rodolphe Parente and Marion Mailaender updated the Ken Club’s 1980s cues, with the ambition to bring a five-star travel experience to the local-first clientele, to bring the sense of escape into everyday neighborhood life. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 The education continues, shaped by customers, mistakes, new ideas and changing ambitions. — Sabine Leveiller, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026 Our ambition is to ensure that growth in filming creates lasting value for Madrid. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ambition

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambition

Noun

Guadagnino liked the idea of shooting a tech movie about the future in a place once home to similar aspirations.

— E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Sandoval is certainly making an impact for the Blue Devils, who have postseason aspirations.

— Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of aspiration

Noun

The administration has sought to give patients more control over their own data through initiatives like the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem.

— Brittany Trang, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
The platform aggregates campaign activity across several channels and initiatives, providing studios with instant visibility into key marketing, promotional, exhibitor, media, and performance metrics through a single interface.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of initiative

Noun

Sitting next to Hopkins at the podium after the match was Chawinga, who came away with a goal and assist on the day.

— Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
The goal was to recapture the way music was recorded decades ago, bringing musicians together to play live, with large instrumental ensembles that, in some tracks, involved more than 90 musicians.

— Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of goal

Noun

But the investigation is ongoing, and no final determination has been made.

— Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Colfax Mayor Caroline McCully said the opening represents the culmination of years of work and determination by people who believed in the project and the community.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of determination

Noun

There’s not a lot of action, but heavy action is not required.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
But a 2012 Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) action barred the platform from serving US customers—its most important user base—and Intrade shuttered soon thereafter.

— Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of action

Noun

Unsurprisingly, developers creating single-purpose spaces placed controls on them, and not only racial ones.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Banks support off-balance sheet arrangements, such as special purpose vehicles, between private creditors and hyperscalers, which is raising concerns about systemic stability, especially in light of contractual activations.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of purpose

Noun

Blank bulletin board for Hurley Hurley likes to point at preseason rankings and award projections for motivation leading up to and throughout the season.

— Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
So perhaps Kelce had extra motivation to work out in the offseason, Spruill said.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of motivation

Noun

Petit Métis, in Métis-sur-Mer, a 15-minute drive from Sainte-Flavie, has retro-chic cabins, beach access, and an outdoor pool.

— Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026
Still, twice a week, an ICE deportation plane lands at the tiny Twin Falls airport, in a rural area south of the small city surrounded by farm fields a half-hour drive from Interstate 84.

— Kirk Siegler, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of drive

Browse Nearby Words

ambit

ambition

ambitionless

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“Ambition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambition. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ambition

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