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- pronunciation:
- aem
bI
sh
 s
- features:
- Word Combinations (adjective), Word History, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| definition 1: |
having or showing ambition.
They're all ambitious people trying to get to the top.After acquiring his first ship, he had ambitious dreams of acquiring a whole fleet.
- synonyms:
- aspiring, determined, enterprising, zealous
- antonyms:
- lazy
- similar words:
- climbing, competitive, designing, desirous, driving, eager, hungry, intent, itching, pushy, resolved, scheming, wishful
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| definition 2: |
requiring great effort in order to be realized.
She's opted for an ambitious program of study.
- synonyms:
- arduous, difficult
- antonyms:
- easy, effortless, undemanding
- similar words:
- audacious, bold, brave, daring, energetic, lofty, vigorous
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| related words: |
competitive |
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| derivation: |
ambitiously (adv.) |
The word ambitious is from a Latin word that means "to go about" or "walk around." In Roman times, this Latin word, ambitio, came to have a special meaning. It was used for a man who went around town for a particular reason: to persuade people to vote for him. Today, we would still say that someone who enters an election is ambitious, but the English word now has a wider meaning.
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