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
as in ambition
eager desire for personal advancement
for sheer ambitiousness, few professions can rival the modeling world
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
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025
And holding such an ambitious standard could mean staying single for longer, or forever.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 10 June 2025
Toney’s comments speak volumes about Frank’s ability to build personal connections with headstrong and ambitious international players, which will be important in endearing himself to the group ahead of next season.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 10 June 2025
Thomson urged countries to drastically reduce carbon emissions, in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels—the ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.
—Vivienne Walt, Time, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambitious
Adjective
The ambitious and flashy pop culture fixture was a kingmaker in the rap game and pop world, and later expanded his career into fashion, television and spirits over the past 30 years.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025
And holding such an ambitious standard could mean staying single for longer, or forever.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 10 June 2025
Toney’s comments speak volumes about Frank’s ability to build personal connections with headstrong and ambitious international players, which will be important in endearing himself to the group ahead of next season.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 10 June 2025
Thomson urged countries to drastically reduce carbon emissions, in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels—the ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.
—Vivienne Walt, Time, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambitious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambitious
Adjective
-
Back then, Stamets was a student and aspiring mycologist, and Chilton was a commercial mushroom grower.—
Mattha Busby,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
-
For all the California-bashing, the state remains one of the world’s largest economies, still the place where aspiring actors and filmmakers go to pursue their dreams, whose rich agricultural fields are crucial to feeding America.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
But even in Alberta, a province that has favored development, the legacy policies are still likely not aggressive enough to meet the moment.—
Mark Le Dain,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
Most recently the administration asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for downsizing the federal workforce despite multiple court rulings that congressional approval is needed to make such aggressive reductions.—
Ragan Whitlock,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
Nevertheless, Infantino’s remarks show ambition to enact what would be a seismic change to how professional men’s soccer has operated in the United States.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
The damage to the nuclear facilities from Israeli and U.S. strikes and Israel's killing of nuclear scientists may well be a setback for nuclear weapons ambitions – which Iran had denied – such facilities can be rebuilt and Iran now has the know-how to be able to build nuclear weapons.—
Matthew Tostevin
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 June 2025
Adjective
-
These two siblings have adventurous hearts, enjoy school and share one wish — to live together in a supportive home where the entire family spends time together.—
The Star,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2025
-
But in case an adventurous dish doesn’t sit well with you, Fischer suggests keeping Pepto Bismol or another stomach aid at the ready to provide some relief.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
Meta’s big bet on Wang fits into CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to bolster his company’s AI efforts amid fierce competition from OpenAI and Google-parent Alphabet.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
13 June 2025
-
Sanders’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), is a fierce Trump critic.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambitious. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share