ambition

ambition
am|bi|tion [æmˈbıʃən] n
[Date: 1300-1400; : Latin; Origin: ambitio, from ambire; AMBIENT]
1.)
a strong desire to achieve something
achieve/fulfil/realize an ambition
▪ She fulfilled her ambition to become the first woman to run the 10,000 metres in under 30 minutes.
lifelong ambition
▪ He always had this burning ambition (=very strong desire) to start his own business.
▪ the political ambitions of the working class
an ambition to do sth/of doing sth
▪ His ambition to become a pilot was thwarted by poor eyesight.
cherish/nurse/harbour an ambition
(=have it secretly for a long time)
▪ He harboured ambitions of becoming leader.
2.) [U]
determination to be successful, rich, powerful etc
▪ a lack of ambition

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?
Synonyms:
, , , / , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • ambition — [ ɑ̃bisjɔ̃ ] n. f. • ambicion XIIIe; lat. ambitio 1 ♦ Désir ardent d obtenir les biens qui peuvent flatter l amour propre (pouvoir, honneurs, réussite sociale). « Les hommes commencent par l amour, finissent par l ambition » (La Bruyère). Il a de …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • ambition — AMBITION. s. f. Désir immodéré d honneur, de gloire, d élévation, de distinction. Grande ambition. Ambition déréglée. Ambition démesurée. Ambition sans bornes. Ambition insatiable. Avoir de l ambition.Ambition, se prend aussi en bonne part; mais… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • ambition — AMBITION. s. f. Desir excessif d honneur & de grandeur. Grande, desreglée, furieuse, horrible, execrable, pernicieuse ambition. avoir de l ambition. faire quelque chose par ambition. c est un homme sans ambition. plein d ambition. brusler d… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • ambition — UK US /æmˈbɪʃən/ noun ► [C] a strong wish to achieve a particular thing: ambition to do sth »After his heart attack, he abandoned his ambition to become CEO. achieve/fulfil/realize your ambition »He has already achieved his main ambition in life… …   Financial and business terms

  • ambition — ambition, aspiration, pretension mean strong desire for advancement. Ambition has personal advancement or preferment as its end; it may be praiseworthy but is sometimes inordinate {ambition for fame} {ambition to hold office} {Iambition to… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Ambition — • The undue craving for honor Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Ambition     Ambition     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Ambition — Am*bi tion, n. [F. ambition, L. ambitio a going around, especially of candidates for office is Rome, to solicit votes (hence, desire for office or honor), fr. ambire to go around. See {Ambient}, {Issue}.] 1. The act of going about to solicit or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ambition — Ambition, Ambitio, Ambitus. L homme duquel l ambition le rend mal heureux, Miser ambitionis. Quand on ne va plus que à ambition, ou autre chose, Emeritis stipendiis ambitionis. Tout va par ambition et dissimulation aujourd huy, Mores iam nostri… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Ambition — is the possession of motivation for power. Ambitious persons seek power either for themselves, for others, or to weild power over others in the name of an ideal.When used to seek an ideal, ambition develops a close relationship to… …   Wikipedia

  • ambition — (n.) mid 14c., from M.Fr. ambition or directly from L. ambitionem (nom. ambitio) a going around, especially to solicit votes, hence a striving for favor, courting, flattery; a desire for honor, thirst for popularity, noun of action from pp. stem… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Ambition — »‹beruflicher› Ehrgeiz«: Das Substantiv ist im 16. Jh. über gleichbed. frz. ambition aus lat. ambitio entlehnt. Das lat. Substantiv bedeutet eigentlich »das Herumgehen«, dann im speziell politischen Sinn »das Herumgehen bei den Wählern in der… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”