ambition
gb/æmbˈɪʃən/ us/æmbˈɪʃən/
A2
English
~ 2600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
property
1
Strong desire to achieve something
A strong wish to be successful or to do something important.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has ambition to [do something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ambition' with 'ambitious', using the noun where the adjective is needed, e.g., saying 'He is an ambition man' instead of 'He is an ambitious man'.
Synonyms
aspiration (Often used in more formal contexts, focusing on a high or noble goal.)
|
goal (More general and neutral; may refer to short- or long-term aims without the emotional drive implied by 'ambition'.)
Antonyms
apathy (Lack of interest or desire to achieve anything; opposite of having ambition.)
|
contentment (Being satisfied with what one has, without seeking further achievement.)
Collocations
burning ambition
|lifelong ambition
|personal ambition
|achieve one's ambition
|lack ambition
Themes
emotions
|personal_development
|career
|core_vocabulary
|work
|business
Examples
- Her ambition to become a doctor kept her motivated through many challenges.
- He has the ambition and the skills to lead the company.
- Winning the championship was his greatest ambition.
- Ambition drove her to work long hours every day.
- Without ambition, it's easy to lose direction in life.
Learner examples
- She has an ambition to be a teacher.
- His ambition is to travel around the world.
- I want to reach my ambition of running my own shop.
- Her ambition makes her study hard.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Specific goal someone wants to achieve
Something you want very much to do or get.
Usage pattern:
[someone's] ambition is to [do something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'ambitious', e.g., 'My ambitious is...' instead of 'My ambition is...'.
Synonyms
objective (More formal and often used in business or planning contexts.)
|
dream (Emphasizes personal hope or fantasy rather than practical planning.)
Antonyms
disinterest (Lack of desire or motivation to pursue any goal.)
Collocations
lifelong ambition
|main ambition
|achieve an ambition
Themes
personal_development
|career
|core_vocabulary
|work
|education
Examples
- Her main ambition is to write a best-selling novel.
- Becoming an astronaut has been his lifelong ambition.
- He finally achieved his ambition of owning a restaurant.
Learner examples
- My ambition is to be a pilot.
- Her ambition is to learn five languages.
- It was his ambition to win the race.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ambition
IPA
GB/æmbˈɪʃən/
US/æmbˈɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
am - bi - tion (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (bi)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ambition
- Plural: ambition, ambitions
Word family
Forms
ambitions
noun
Core family
ambitious
adjective B1
Related words
ambitiously
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unambitious
adjective
Advanced or less common
ambitiousness
noun
overambitious
adjective
Expressions
burning ambition
1/bˈɚnɪŋ æmbˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Very strong desire to succeed or achieve something
A very strong wish to do or get something.
Examples
- He had a burning ambition to climb Mount Everest.
- Her burning ambition was to start her own fashion label.
fulfil one's ambition
1/fʊlfˈɪl wˈʌnz æmbˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Achieve one's personal goal
To succeed in doing what you really wanted to do.
Examples
- She fulfilled her ambition of becoming a professional singer.
- After years of study, he finally fulfilled his ambition and opened his own clinic.
lifelong ambition
1/lˈaɪflˈɔŋ æmbˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Goal desired for whole life
Something you have wanted to do all your life.
Examples
- Becoming a published author was her lifelong ambition.
- Traveling to the North Pole was his lifelong ambition.
personal ambition
1/pˈɚsənəl æmbˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
An individual's own goal or wish
A goal or wish that belongs only to you.
Examples
- His personal ambition is to run a marathon before he turns forty.
- She put her personal ambitions aside for the good of the team.