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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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Set against the backdrop of Los Angeles’s Night Stalker murders in 1985, this A24 film stars Mia Goth as an aspiring horror actress and peep-show star who walks into a growing den of chaos on the set of her first real film.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
19 Oct. 2025
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By steadily building a following over the years, Karsten Runquist, a 27-year-old aspiring director with an affable and unassuming demeanor, has become, by some measures, one of today’s most prominent movie reviewers.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Being passive aggressive and giving non-committal responses is clearly not working.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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But even with the aggressive approach, the talent gap was evident.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But when adventurous Milo comes into town, Prudence finds an unlikely friend with benefits.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
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The Penguins probably could’ve gone more adventurous.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Children’s Health Defense, the organization Kennedy built into one of the fiercest foes of childhood vaccines, took interest in the Idaho bill early on.—
Audrey Dutton,
ProPublica,
20 Oct. 2025
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Two-time All Pro linebacker James Harrison led a fierce Pittsburgh Steelers defense for years, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambitious. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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