ambition

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++am·bi·tion /æmˈbɪʃən/ ●●○ W3 noun  1  [countable]WANT a strong desire to achieve something 追求，夙愿，理想an ambition to do something She had always had an ambition to be a pilot. 她一直渴望当飞行员。somebody’s ambitions of doing something An injury ended his ambitions of becoming a professional footballer. 一次受伤使得他当职业足球员的理想落空了。► see thesaurus at aim2  [uncountable]AMBITIOUS determination to be successful, rich, powerful etc 抱负，雄心；野心 He was young and full of ambition. 他年轻，而且雄心勃勃。3  have no ambition to do something used when saying that you definitely do not want to do something 完全不想做某事 I have no ambition to go back there again. 我压根儿不想再回那里。n GRAMMAR: Patterns with ambition• You say that someone’s ambition is to do something: His ambition is to become a doctor.• You can also say that someone has the ambition of doing something: He has the ambition of becoming a doctor.• You can also say that someone has an ambition to do something. This pattern is often used when talking about the past: He had always had an ambition to become a doctor. COLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2verbssomebody’s ambition is to be/do something 某人的理想是…My ambition was to be a journalist. 我的理想是当新闻记者。have an ambition 有雄心He had an ambition to be a top cello player. 他曾立志成为最优秀的大提琴演奏家。achieve/fulfil/realize your ambition (=do what you wanted to do) 实现自己的理想It took her ten years to achieve her ambition. 她花了十年时间实现自己的理想。nHe was prepared to go to any lengths to fulfil his ambition.nI want to thank all those who made it possible for me to realize a lifetime’s ambition.lack ambition/have no ambition 胸无大志Many of the students lack ambition. 许多学生都胸无大志。nurse/harbour/cherish an ambition (=have it for a long time, especially secretly) 心怀壮志nHe had nursed an ambition to become a writer for many years.frustrate/thwart somebody’s ambitions formal (=prevent someone from achieving them) 【正式】阻挠某人实现理想nThe weather threatened to frustrate their ambitions.nHer lifelong ambitions had been thwarted again and again.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + ambitionsomebody’s main ambition 某人最大的理想What’s your main ambition in life? 你一生中最大的理想是什么？somebody’s great ambition 某人的伟大理想He didn’t achieve his greatest ambition – to be Wimbledon Champion. 他没有实现自己的伟大理想——成为温布尔登锦标赛冠军。a lifelong/long-held ambition (=one that you have had all your life) 终身追求n It’s been her lifelong ambition to work with horses. a personal ambition 个人志向nCrossing the Sahara was a personal ambition of mine.a secret ambition 内心深处的志向nHis secret ambition was to become a pilot.a burning/driving ambition (=a very strong ambition) 雄心壮志nShe had a burning ambition to become a racing car driver.career ambitions 事业抱负nThe course is designed to help you achieve your career ambitions.political/presidential ambitions 政治/当总统的抱负nHis political ambitions were put on hold while he waited for a suitable opportunity.phrasessomebody’s dreams and ambitions 某人的理想和抱负He told her all about his dreams and ambitions. 他把自己的理想和抱负全部向她倾诉。somebody’s lack of ambition 某人胸无大志I was frustrated by their apparent lack of ambition. 他们明显胸无大志，这让我很懊丧。be full of ambition 满腹雄心nShe was full of ambition when she joined the company.

Examples from the Corpus

ambition• Unfortunately, his skills and ambition have not yielded any meaningful understanding of the region.• Getting to the top hadn't been easy, in spite of his burning ambition and will to succeed.• She had early ambitions to be a marine biologist, and always claimed that lack of formal educational opportunity prevented her.• But I do think as long as you've got ambitions in life you can do anything you want.• But the shamelessness of her ambition was nothing compared with Farin a's.• Her ambition was to go to law school and become an attorney.• Earlier this year, he achieved his ambition of competing in the Olympic games.• But his ambition had its limits.• The words came over clearly but cautiously: Leslie Brent was denied his ambition to be a cook.• My teachers always told me that I lacked ambition, and would never get anywhere.• I hardly dared formulate my ambition to myself.• What can you do with a kid who has no ambition?• "Your problem, " said Arthur, "is that you have no ambition."• Eric wasn't particularly intelligent but he had plenty of ambition.• Kasich is thought to have grand political ambitions.• Yeltsin fumed at questions of whether the nuclear summit and surrounding meetings were tailored to his political ambitions.an ambition to do something• By then fired by an ambition to go all the way, he turned professional.• Years later, his career reached a peak when he kissed Marlon Brando Have you always had an ambition to act?• Niki had an ambition to drive it perfectly.• I had arrived at Ullapool by bus in mid-afternoon, determined to satisfy an ambition to make a first visit to Lochinver.• It is always a dream of greatness, not simply an ambition to succeed.• Dayton is a young Gentleman of talents, with an ambition to exert them.Origin ambition (1300-1400) Latin ambitio, from ambire; → AMBIENT

am·bi·tion noun →n GRAMMAR1 →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable  

achieve desire to something strong Corpus a

ambition
am‧bi‧tion W3 /æmˈbɪʃən/ noun1. [countable] a strong desire to achieve something
    an ambition to do something
    She had always had an ambition to be a pilot.
    sb’s ambitions of doing something
    An injury ended his ambitions of becoming a professional footballer.
2. [uncountable] determination to be successful, rich, powerful etc:
    He was young and full of ambition.
3. have no ambition to do something used when saying that you definitely do not want to do something:
    I have no ambition to go back there again.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meanings 1 & 2)

■ verbs
   ▪ sb’s ambition is to be/do something My ambition was to be a journalist.
   ▪ have an ambition He had an ambition to be a top cello player.
   ▪ achieve/fulfil/realize your ambition (=do what you wanted to do) 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 ambition/have no ambition Many of the students lack ambition.
   ▪ nurse/harbour/cherish an ambition (=have it for a long time, especially secretly) He had nursed an ambition to become a writer for many years.
   ▪ frustrate/thwart sb’s ambitions formal (=prevent someone from achieving them) The weather threatened to frustrate their ambitions. | Her lifelong ambitions had been thwarted again and again.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + ambition
   ▪ sb’s main ambition What’s your main ambition in life?
   ▪ sb’s great ambition He didn’t achieve his greatest ambition – to be Wimbledon Champion.
   ▪ a lifelong/long-held ambition (=one that you have had all your life) It’s been her lifelong ambition to work with horses.
   ▪ a personal ambition Crossing the Sahara was a personal ambition of mine.
   ▪ a secret ambition His secret ambition was to become a pilot.
   ▪ a burning/driving ambition (=a very strong ambition) She had a burning ambition to become a racing car driver.
   ▪ career ambitions The course is designed to help you achieve your career ambitions.
   ▪ political/presidential ambitions His political ambitions were put on hold while he waited for a suitable opportunity.
■ phrases
   ▪ sb’s dreams and ambitions He told her all about his dreams and ambitions.
   ▪ 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.

🔑 am·bi·tionBrE /æmˈbɪʃn/ 🔊NAmE /æmˈbɪʃn/ 🔊 noun🔑 [countable] something that you want to do or achieve very much 追求的目标；夙愿◆It had been her lifelong ambition. 这是她终生追求的目标。🔊🔊◆political/literary/sporting ambitions 政治抱负；文学夙愿；运动目标◆~ of being/doing sth She never achieved her ambition of becoming a famous writer. 她一直未能实现当名作家的夙愿。🔊🔊◆~ to be/do sth His burning ambition was to study medicine. 他梦寐以求的是学医。🔊🔊🔑 [uncountable] the desire or determination to be successful, rich, powerful, etc. 野心；雄心；志向；抱负◆motivated by personal ambition为个人野心所驱使◆She was intelligent but suffered from a lack of ambition. 她很聪明，但却缺乏远大志向。🔊🔊