1
as in aspiring
having a strong desire for personal advancement
an ambitious child actor and his even more ambitious mother, who will do anything to get him in commercials
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggressive
having or showing a bold forcefulness in the pursuit of a goal
cleaning up the vacant lot in one weekend was an ambitious undertaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 ambitious
The new German nuclear bomb project was headed by the young and extremely ambitious nuclear physicist Kurt Diebner, who had served since 1939 as a scientific adviser to the German army.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Coach Kyle Shanahan set 40 rushing plays as the goal against the Falcons, which was ambitious considering the 49ers (5-2) had been struggling to run consistently.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
The self in question is just fundamentally slight and not especially ambitious.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
Tesla’s board announced the ambitious executive pay plan for Musk in September.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambitious
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Coach Kyle Shanahan set 40 rushing plays as the goal against the Falcons, which was ambitious considering the 49ers (5-2) had been struggling to run consistently.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
The self in question is just fundamentally slight and not especially ambitious.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
Tesla’s board announced the ambitious executive pay plan for Musk in September.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambitious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambitious
Adjective
-
Tessa wants a career in criminal justice, and Hannah is an aspiring graphic artist and musician who plays bass in a local band, Exit 23.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Across the web, singers — professional, aspiring, and recreational — have shared their own covers of the popular song as well.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Dallas Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones have been very interested in the idea of getting aggressive ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Unlike their alligator cousins, which are known to occasionally attack people, American crocodiles are shyer and less aggressive.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Her adventurous spirit never dimmed.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Miguel kick-started his career with his adventurous 2012 debut, Kaleidoscope Dream, an LP that mixed rock, soul, and psychedelia into a freewheeling sound he’s been nuancing ever since, often in music that’s taken on a moodier, more anxious tone.—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The rebound in corporate profitability was largely helped by Beijing’s policies aimed at curtailing fierce price competition across industrial sectors, at a time when deflation in producer prices stretched into its third year.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The eyewall generally produces the fiercest winds and heaviest rainfall, according to Deanna Hence, a professor of climate, meteorology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.—
NPR,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambitious. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share