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Ambitious vs Obsessive - What's the difference?

ambitious | obsessive |

As adjectives the difference between ambitious and obsessive

is that ambitious is possessing, or controlled by ambition; greatly or inordinately desirous of power, honor, office, superiority, or distinction while obsessive is prone to cause obsession.

As a noun obsessive is

a person who is obsessed, who has an obsession.

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

    Related terms

    * ambition

    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)

    obsessive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Prone to cause obsession
    • ''The idea is too tempting, it's obsessive
  • Having one thought or pursuing one activity to the absolute or nearly absolute exclusion of all others.
    • ''Hardcore fans' obsessive behavior may take over their lives
  • Excessive, as results from obsession.
    • ''A workaholic's obsessive zeal may lead to success or burnout
  • * '>citation

    • Synonyms

    * (Having one thought or pursuing one activity) unrelenting, unyielding, headstrong *

    Derived terms

    * obsessively

    Related terms

    * obsess * obsession * obsessional

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person who is obsessed, who has an obsession