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
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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
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Recent Examples of ambitious
Reimagining the building in whole or in part as a residence is a thrilling idea (and Francis Ford Coppola did it most recently, in his bizarre and wildly ambitious film Megalopolis), but the economics of conversion will be trickier than for the Flatiron.
—
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 27 Mar. 2026
The directorial debut of Ronan Day-Lewis, written in collaboration with his father Daniel, who also co-stars, Anemone is an ambitious drama anchored by some great performances.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
With The Hunt for Gollum on track for 2027 and Shadows of the Past set to follow, the Lord of the Rings franchise is charting an ambitious path forward — with one of its most passionate fans now helping to shape its future from behind the keyboard.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
The Space Launch System (SLS) is the gigantic rocket NASA developed specifically for its Artemis lunar program, which the agency's ambitious campaign to put astronauts back on the moon for the first time since 1972.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambitious
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 27 Mar. 2026
The directorial debut of Ronan Day-Lewis, written in collaboration with his father Daniel, who also co-stars, Anemone is an ambitious drama anchored by some great performances.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
With The Hunt for Gollum on track for 2027 and Shadows of the Past set to follow, the Lord of the Rings franchise is charting an ambitious path forward — with one of its most passionate fans now helping to shape its future from behind the keyboard.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
The Space Launch System (SLS) is the gigantic rocket NASA developed specifically for its Artemis lunar program, which the agency's ambitious campaign to put astronauts back on the moon for the first time since 1972.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambitious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambitious
Adjective
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This one follows an aspiring bull-rider, but the prose is a little left-of-center for the Bard As any Dylanologist could tell you.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
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An aspiring writer as a teenager, Burden turned her focus to law in college, earning a degree in Juvenile and Immigration Law from New York University.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Brvenik, 44, was diagnosed in 2024 with leiomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Your sense of self takes the lead as the Moon, presently in your sign, opposes aggressive Mars across your partnership zone.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For travelers with an adventurous spirit, Costa Rica’s South Pacific is a dream come true.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
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Air travel in the early days was a little too adventurous for the average consumer.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Nothing except getting into fierce arguments with fellow-Jews, some would say, which Olitzky—who has a round, boyish face and a conciliatory manner—portrayed as a privilege rather than a burden.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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With one-of-a-kind offerings from the likes of Inglenook, Crocker & Starr, Amici Cellars, Peju, Long Meadow Ranch, and a collaboration between Dakota Shy and Detert Family Vineyards, bidding was fierce on Cabernet Franc.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ambitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambitious. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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