Word Explorer

Ambition

/æmˈbɪ.ʃən/

Eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or literary fame; desire to distinguish one's self from other people.

Full Dictionary Entry

📖 Definitions of "Ambition"

noun

1
Eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or literary fame; desire to distinguish one's self from other people.
"My son, John, wants to be a firefighter very much. He has a lot of ambition."
2
An object of an ardent desire.
"My ambition is to own a helicopter."
3
A desire, as in (sense 1), for another person to achieve these things.
4
A personal quality similar to motivation, not necessarily tied to a single goal.

verb

1
To seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet.
"Pausanias, ambitioning the sovereignty of Greece, bargains with Xerxes for his daughter in marriage. — Trumbull."

🔄 Synonyms of "Ambition"

3 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
aspirationnoun	The act of aspiring or ardently desiring; an ardent wish or desire, chiefly after what is elevated or spiritual (with common adjunct adpositions being to and of).
dreamnoun	(countable) Imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping.
ambitiousnessnoun	The state or quality of being ambitious.

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Ambition"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
aspirationnoun	The act of aspiring or ardently desiring; an ardent wish or desire, chiefly after what is elevated or spiritual (with common adjunct adpositions being to and of).
ambitiousnessnoun	The state or quality of being ambitious.
dreamnoun	(countable) Imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping.
ambitious	(of a person or their character) Having or showing ambition; wanting a lot of power, honor, respect, superiority, or other distinction.
drivenoun	Planned, usually long-lasting, effort to achieve something; ability coupled with ambition, determination, and motivation.
desirenoun	(uncountable) The feeling of desiring; an eager longing for something.
concernnoun	That which affects one’s welfare or happiness. A matter of interest to someone.
longingnoun	An earnest and deep, not greatly passionate, but rather melancholic desire.
yearningnoun	A wistful or melancholy longing.
wishnoun	A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
eagernessnoun	The state or quality of being eager; ardent desire.
greednoun	A selfish or excessive desire for more than is needed or deserved, especially of money, wealth, food, or other possessions.
effortnoun	The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.
endeavournoun	British standard spelling of endeavor.
willingnessnoun	The state of being willing
idealnoun	A perfect standard of beauty, intellect etc., or a standard of excellence to aim at.
goalnoun	A result that one is attempting to achieve.
attemptnoun	The action of trying at something.
purposenoun	The end for which something is done, is made or exists.
intentionnoun	A course of action that a person intends to follow.