English Explanatory Dictionary

ambitious

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Having or showing ambition; wanting a lot of power, honor, respect, superiority, or other distinction.
  2. Very desirous.
  3. Resulting from, characterized by, or indicating, ambition.
  4. Hard to achieve.

Pronunciation

/æmˈbɪʃ.əs/ en-us-ambitious.ogg

Word forms

ambitious ambitiouser more ambitious ambitiousest most ambitious

Etymology

From Middle English ambitious, from Middle French ambitieus, from Latin ambitiosus, from ambitio; see ambition. Compare with French ambitieux. By surface analysis, ambit + -ious.

Synonyms

showy aspiring grand

Antonyms

nonambitious unambitious

Related words

ambition

Derived words

ambitiously ambitiousness hyperambitious overambitious superambitious underambitious
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