Ambition
/æmˈbɪʃən/
nounBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Idiom
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
A strong desire to achieve something.
/æmˈbɪʃən/
nounneutralBeginner
General
A strong desire and determination to succeed.
She had a burning ambition to become a doctor.
💡 Simply: A big wish to get something done.
More Examples
2
His ambition led him to great heights.
How It's Used
Career
"Her ambition is to become a CEO."
Politics
"His political ambition was evident in his speeches."
Idioms & expressions
have high ambitions
To have strong desires for achievement.
"She has high ambitions for her career."
From Middle French *ambition*, from Latin *ambitio*, from *ambire* "to go around, solicit votes".
Historically, the word often carried a negative connotation, suggesting excessive or unscrupulous striving for power.
Memory tip
Think of 'am' (I am) + 'bi' (two) + 'tion' (action) - I am two actions towards a goal.
Practice
Base: ambition
ambisionambitionn
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written