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Ambitious

adj. capable, hopeful professional

What it means

Strongly motivated to reach a demanding and meaningful goal.

Reach for it when praising high aims backed by effort, not status-seeking alone

The ambitious apprentice mapped the skills she would need to lead a restoration.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom. Tap a word to see when it fits.
everyday
warm
professional
formal

  • everyday

    determined

    Fits when resolve to continue despite difficulty is the quality you admire

    Careful Determination can serve a modest goal; ambition specifically raises the aim.

  • warm

    aspiring

    Fits when the person is still working toward a hoped-for future role

    Careful Once established, someone can remain ambitious but is no longer aspiring to that role.

  • warm

    bold

    Fits when the size or unconventional nature of the goal deserves attention

    Careful A bold attempt can be impulsive and need not show sustained ambition.

  • professional

    driven

    Fits when strong internal motivation and sustained effort dominate the picture

    Careful Driven can suggest unhealthy pressure when the goal itself deserves attention.

  • professional

    goal-oriented

    Fits when organized focus on defined outcomes suits a resume

    Careful The phrase sounds mechanical in a warm card about someone's dreams.

  • professional

    motivated

    Fits when energy and willingness to work are known, but the scale of the aim is not

    Careful Motivation alone does not justify calling a plan ambitious.

  • formal

    enterprising

    Fits when initiative and readiness to create opportunities are visible

    Careful It leans toward business ingenuity rather than any demanding personal goal.

  • formal

    industrious

    Fits when steady hard work is the strongest evidence

    Careful Hard work may support assigned duties without reflecting personal ambition.

Opposites 3

  • unambitious
  • apathetic
  • aimless

Common phrases 3

  • ambitious goal

    An ambitious goal gave the research team a clear reason to collaborate.

  • highly ambitious

    Her plan is highly ambitious but divided into testable stages.

  • ambitious student

    The ambitious student sought difficult feedback rather than easy praise.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Neskaya, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated