adjective
1.
marked by intense desire for advancement (as in power, fame, or wealth)
a ruthlessly ambitious politician
Synonyms: aspiring, emulous, vaulting
Related Word: aggressive, enterprising, go-ahead, pushing, up-and-doing; energetic, hardworking, indefatigable; anxious, avid, eager, keen
Contrasted words: apathetic, phlegmatic, stolid; faineant, indolent, lazy, slothful
2.
of a kind to try or exceed one's powers of performance
an ambitious scheme to corner the gold market
Synonyms: grandiose, lofty, pretentious, utopian, visionary
Related Word: audacious, bold, daring; chimerical, extravagant, high-flown, impractical, quixotic, unrealistic
Contrasted words: easy, plain, straightforward; feasible, practicable, realistic; unpretentious
Antonyms: modest