ambition _noun

ADJECTIVES & NOUNS

main 
・What’s your main ambition in life?

great 
・He didn’t achieve his greatest ambition – to be Wimbledon Champion.

lifelong, long-held
・It’s been her lifelong ambition to work with horses.

personal
・Crossing the Sahara was a personal ambition of mine.

secret 
・His secret ambition was to become a pilot.

burning, driving 
・She had a burning ambition to become a racing car driver.

career 
・The course is designed to help you achieve your career ambitions.

political, presidential 
・His political ambitions were put on hold while he waited for a suitable opportunity.

VERBS

have 
・He had an ambition to be a top cello player.

achieve, fulfil, realize 
・It took her ten years to achieve her ambition.
・He was prepared to go to any lengths to fulfil his ambition.
・I want to thank all those who made it possible for me to realize a lifetime's ambition.

lack, have no
・Many of the students lack ambition.

nurse, harbour, cherish 
・He had nursed an ambition to become a writer for many years.

end 
・An injury ended his ambitions of becoming a professional footballer.

frustrate, thwart 
・The weather threatened to frustrate their ambitions.
・Her lifelong ambitions had been thwarted again and again.

PHRASES

sb’s lack of ambition
・I was frustrated by their apparent lack of ambition.

be full of ambition
・She was full of ambition when she joined the company.

sb’s dreams and ambitions
・He told her all about his dreams and ambitions.

sb’s ambition is to be/do sth
・My ambition was to be a journalist.