Synonyms for ambition
æmˈbɪʃ ənam·bi·tion

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.1 / 7 votes

1. ambition

   Aspiration is the desire for excellence, pure and simple. Ambition, literally a going around to solicit votes, has primary reference to the award or approval of others, and is the eager desire of power, fame, or something deemed great and eminent, and viewed as a worthy prize. The prizes of aspiration are virtue, nobility, skill, or other high qualities. The prizes of ambition are advancement, fame, honor, and the like. There is a noble and wise or an ignoble, selfish, and harmful ambition. Emulation is not so much to win any excellence or success for itself as to equal or surpass other persons. There is such a thing as a noble emulation, when those we would equal or surpass are noble, and the means we would use worthy. But, at the highest, emulation is inferior as a motive to aspiration, which seeks the high quality or character for its own sake, not with reference to another. Competition is the striving for something that is sought by another at the same time. Emulation regards the abstract, competition the concrete; rivalry is the same in essential meaning with competition, but differs in the nature of the objects contested for, which, in the case of rivalry, are usually of the nobler sort and less subject to direct gaging, measurement, and rule. We speak of competition in business, emulation in scholarship, rivalry in love, politics, etc.; emulation of excellence, success, achievement; competition for a prize; rivalry between persons or nations. Competition may be friendly, rivalry is commonly hostile. Opposition is becoming a frequent substitute for competition in business language; it implies that the competitor is an opponent and hinderer.

   Synonyms:
   aspiration, competition, emulation, opposition, rivalry

   Antonyms:
   carelessness, contentment, humility, indifference, satisfaction

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.3 / 4 votes

1. ambition

   Synonyms:
   aspiration, emulation, appetition

   Antonyms:
   indifference, inappetency, contentment, moderation

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. ambition, aspiration, dreamnoun

   a cherished desire

   "his ambition is to own his own business"

   Synonyms:
   breathing in, aspiration, inhalation, inspiration, ambitiousness, pipe dream, dream, intake, dreaming

2. ambition, ambitiousnessverb

   a strong drive for success

   Synonyms:
   ambitiousness, dream, aspiration

3. ambitionverb

   have as one's ambition

Matched Categories

1. • Desire

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ambitionnoun

   Synonyms:
   desire of superiority, desire of distinction

2. ambitionnoun

   Synonyms:
   longing, yearning, aspiration

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ambitionnoun

   Synonyms:
   aspiration, emulation

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "ambition":

   aspiration, ambitiousness, aim, desire, objective, goal

Suggested Resources

1. ambition

   Song lyrics by ambition -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by ambition on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to use ambition in a sentence?

1. Marcus Aurelius:

   Who exactly are these people that you want to be admired by? Aren’t they the same people you are in the habit of calling crazy? And is this your life ambition, then – to win the approval of lunatics?

2. Jonathan Swift, Miscellanies, 1711:

   Ambition often puts men upon doing the meanest offices; so climbing is performed in the same posture with creeping.

3. Jason Feer:

   There's going to be a very significant jump in their volumes this year, they clearly have ambition.

4. Sallust, The War with Catiline:

   Ambition drove many men to become false; to have one thought locked in the breast, another ready on the tongue.

5. The Queen of Pop:

   The lifelong ambition I still want to fulfill is to go on a dream date with Drake – and only kiss him.