Ambition
n.hopeful, capableprofessional
What it means
Strong determination to reach a significant goal or level of achievement.
Reach for it when praising directed aspiration when the goal and means are worthwhile
Her ambition is to bring clean water to every household in the valley.
Choose between these
7- playful
hunger
intense desire suits candid informal praise
not when Hunger can sound ruthless or needy in dignified recognition.
- everyday
inner energy repeatedly pushes action
not when Drive can become compulsive and does not identify the goal.
- warm
hopeful direction matters more than competitive drive
not when Aspiration may remain a wish without sustained effort.
- warm
persistence despite obstacles is the admired quality
not when Determination can serve a modest task rather than a large ambition.
- warm
meaning guides sustained work
not when Purpose can be steady and unambitious.
- professional
the intended result needs to be concrete
not when A goal is an object of effort, not the motivating desire.
- formal
initiative and resourcefulness pursue a substantial undertaking
not when Enterprise adds commercial overtones absent from many ambitions.
Said against
3- apathy
- aimlessness
- complacency
It naturally appears in
3- great ambition
Building a free rural clinic was a great ambition.
- personal ambition
Personal ambition did not prevent her from sharing credit.
- realize an ambition
The fellowship helped him realize an ambition to study coral reefs.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English noun sense: strong desire to achieve something opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.