Ambition

Simple meaning

Ambition is a strong desire to achieve something important — a goal, a standard, or a level of success that matters to you.

Detailed meaning

Ambition is the energy behind goals. It is not the goal itself — it is the feeling that pulls you toward it. Someone with ambition is not satisfied with staying still. They want to build, grow, achieve, or create something that does not yet exist.

Ambition often gets a mixed reputation. On one side, it is admired — ambitious people tend to work hard, push boundaries, and achieve things that others do not. On the other side, it is sometimes associated with selfishness or ruthlessness — the idea of wanting too much, at others' expense.

The difference is usually in the direction of the ambition. Ambition pointed at a meaningful goal — building something, helping people, becoming genuinely skilled — is what drives real progress. Ambition pointed purely at status or money, with no care for how it is achieved, is what earns the bad reputation.

Most people who achieve something lasting had genuine ambition. They wanted it not just for appearances, but because it genuinely mattered to them.

Word forms:

• Ambition (noun) — the strong desire to achieve: "Her ambition was to lead a team of her own by thirty."
• Ambitious (adjective) — having or showing ambition: "an ambitious plan", "an ambitious person"
• Ambitiously (adverb) — in an ambitious way: "They set ambitiously high targets."

Common phrases:

• "Ambitious goal" — a goal that requires real effort and is not easy to reach
• "Burning ambition" — a very strong, intense desire to achieve something
• "Political ambition" — the desire to gain power or influence in organisations or government

Where to use it

• Career and professional life — "Her ambition was clear from the first week — she wanted to run the department, not just work in it."
• Personal goals — "He had the ambition to run a marathon before he turned forty."
• Planning and projects — "It was an ambitious plan — but the team had the skills to pull it off."

Where not to use it

Ambition describes a desire, not a plan. Do not use it to mean skill or hard work — a person can be ambitious but still lack the discipline or ability to execute.

5 example sentences

1. Her ambition was not loud or performative — it was quiet and consistent, visible only in the choices she made every day.
2. There is a difference between ambition that serves a purpose and ambition that is just about looking impressive.
3. The proposal was ambitious — it asked for double the usual budget and half the time — but it was backed by a solid plan.
4. He had the ambition to write a novel, but he spent years waiting to feel ready rather than simply starting.
5. A good mentor does not suppress a young person's ambition — they help direct it toward something worth building.

Common mistakes

Similar & opposite words

Similar (synonyms)

Opposite (antonyms)

Memory trick

A short story to remember it

Leila was twenty-four and working in a role that bored her. Her colleagues were happy enough. She was not unhappy — but she noticed she was not excited either.

She had ambition, though she did not always call it that. She stayed after work some evenings — not because anyone asked her to, but because there was something she was trying to figure out. A system that could be improved. A problem no one else had bothered to solve.

Six months later, her solution saved the team twelve hours a week. She was asked to lead the implementation.

She had not asked for the recognition. She had just followed the feeling: the quiet pull toward something worth building.

That pull was her ambition. It had never been about status. It had been about the work.

"Ambition is not about wanting more. It is about caring enough about something to move toward it."

Practice quiz

Summary

Ambition is the strong desire to achieve something meaningful — a goal, a standard, or a level of success that matters to you. The adjective is ambitious. Ambition is neither good nor bad by itself — what matters is what you are ambitious for and how you pursue it. It is the starting energy behind most great achievements, but it needs discipline and patience to become anything real. An ambitious goal is one that requires real effort; an ambitious person is one who is genuinely driven to reach something beyond where they currently are.