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Ambitious vs Ambiguous - What's the difference?

ambitious | ambiguous |

As adjectives the difference between ambitious and ambiguous

is that ambitious is possessing, or controlled by ambition; greatly or inordinately desirous of power, honor, office, superiority, or distinction while ambiguous is open to multiple interpretations.

ambitious

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Possessing, or controlled by ambition; greatly or inordinately desirous of power, honor, office, superiority, or distinction.
  • * 1891 , , "The Man with the Twisted Lip,"
  • As I grew richer I grew more ambitious , took a house in the country, and eventually married, without anyone having a suspicion as to my real occupation.
  • Strongly desirous—followed by "of" or the infinitive; as, ambitious to be or to do something.
  • Springing from, characterized by, or indicating, ambition; showy; aspiring.
  • Hard to achieve.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838
  • , page=13 (Technology Quarterly), magazine=(The Economist) , title= Ideas coming down the track , passage=A “moving platform” scheme

    Usage notes

    * Said of people, projects, plans, goals, etc.

    Derived terms

    * ambitiously * ambitiousness * overambitious

    References

    * * * * * " ambitious" in the Wordsmyth Dictionary-Thesaurus (Wordsmyth, 2002) * " ambitious" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007) * " ambitious" in Compact Oxford English Dictionary , (Oxford University Press, 2007)

    ambiguous

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Open to multiple interpretations.
  • The politician was criticized for his ambiguous statements and lack of precision.
  • Vague and unclear.
  • He gave an ambiguous answer.
  • (obsolete, of persons) Hesitant; uncertain; not taking sides.
  • * 1662 (Thomas Salusbury)
  • And forasmuch as in this same question I am ambiguous , and Simplicius is resolute....

    Synonyms

    * equivocal

    Antonyms

    * unambiguous * precise

    See also

    * contradictory * mistakable * confusing

    References

    *