Basic Details
Word: Ambitious
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Having a strong wish to succeed or achieve something big. A plan can be ambitious too, if it needs a lot of effort.
Synonyms: determined, driven, aspiring, eager
Antonyms: unambitious, aimless
How to Spell Ambitious
Syllables: am - bi - tious
Tricky part: The shus sound at the end is spelt tious, not cious. The t comes from ambition.
Watch out for: ambicious, ambitous, ambitius
Memory tip: Ambition has a t, so ambitious keeps it: ambiti + ous.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Sana is ambitious and wants to be a pilot.
Example 2: Building a full-size robot in one week was an ambitious plan.
Example 3: The ambitious young chef opened her own dhaba at twenty-two.
Fun Fact
In ancient Rome, ambitio meant going around. People who wanted to be elected walked around the city asking for votes.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) ambicious
b) cautious
c) delicious
d) nutritious
Show answer
a) ambicious. Ambition has a t, so ambitious has a t too, not a c.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
ambitious
a) determined
b) idle
c) timid
d) careless
Show answer
a) determined. An ambitious person is determined to get ahead; idle and timid point the other way.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
amb_t_ous
a) i, e
b) i, i
c) e, i
d) a, i
Show answer
b) i, i. Say am-bi-tious: an i after the b and another after the t.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
suotibmai
a) mutinous
b) ambitious
c) ambiguous
d) ambition
Show answer
b) ambitious. Ambition and mutinous need an n, and ambiguous a g and a second u; only ambitious uses these nine letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An ambitious student is most likely to ____.
a) set big goals and work hard for them
b) avoid all homework
c) give up quickly
d) sleep through class
Show answer
a) set big goals and work hard for them
2. Which plan is the most ambitious?
a) eating breakfast
b) walking to the gate
c) climbing Mount Everest
d) tying a shoelace
Show answer
c) climbing Mount Everest
