AMBITION, AMBITIOUS
ADJECTIVES
1534 — AFFECTIONED ambitious, eager; zealous → obs.
1598 — AFFECTIONATE ambitious, eager, earnest → obs.
1610 — HIGH-SIGHTED ambitious, supercilious, arrogant
..19C — BRICKLE ambitious, industrious → Amer.
..19C — PAUGHTY ambitious → Eng. dial.
1822 — ETTLING ambitious, pushing, striving → Sc.
1823 — ABOVE ONESELF overly ambitious, arrogant, conceited, self-important, presumptuous
1898 — AIMSOME ambitious, speculative → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1916 — PUSH-AND-GO ambitious, enterprising, determined
1921 — GO-GETTING ambitious → orig. US
1942 — GUMPTIOUS ambitious, energetic, enterprising, eager → Amer. dial.
1980 — WANABE → WANNABE ambitious, aspirant → sl.
NOUNS
1600 — AMBITIOSITY ambition; a being ambitious → obs.
1825 — YATTLE ambition, force, willpower → Sc. obs.
1862 — GUMPTION ambition, initiative; tenacity → Amer. dial.
1885 — PUSH-AND-GO ambition, drive; a being able to develop and carry out a scheme energetically; enterprise, initiative → orig. US
1897 — AMBISH aggressive ambition or enthusiasm → Amer. sl.
NOUNS, PERSON
1600 — HIGH-FLYER a person who has high ambitions and aims; a person with an aspirational outlook
1625 — AMBITIONIST an excessively ambitious person
1833 — CLIMBER an ambitious person → sl.
1887 — SKY-FLYER an ambitious person
1893 — WORLD-BEATER an ambitious and aggressive person → Amer. sl.
1910 — GO-GETTER an ambitious or enterprising person → sl., orig. US
1929 — YOUNG GUN an ambitious or assertive young person, esp. within a particular organization or institution → colloq.
1950 — MOVER an ambitious and successful person, both socially and with the opposite sex → sl.
1951 — HARD CHARGER an ambitious, energetic, and enterprising person; a go-getter → orig. US military usage
1957 — BIG SWINGING DICK → SWINGING DICK am ambitious, successful, arrogant, or aggressively bold man → sl.
1974 — MOVER AND SHAKER an ambitious and successful person, both socially and with the opposite sex → sl.
1975 — GETTER an ambitious or enterprising person; a determined person, one likely to succeed → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
1981 — WANABE → WANNABE an ambitious person; someone who wants to be something or someone → Amer. sl.
1986 — FAST-BURNER an ambitious, energetic person → Amer. military usage
1988 — GONNABE an ambitious person who has a realistic chance of achieving the goal → US sl.
2000 — MOVER AND GROOVER an ambitious and successful person, both socially and with the opposite sex → sl.
2006 — BALL OF FIRE an ambitious, energetic person → US sl. (Bk.)
2006 — FIREBALL an ambitious, energetic person → US sl. (Bk.)
VERBS
1175 — LOOK ALOFT to be ambitious, to aspire → obs.
1600 — AMBITIONIZE to make ambitious, to motivate → obs.
1795 — HAVE A SOUL ABOVE BUTTONS to have ambitions or aspirations beyond what is expected or usual for someone born into a manual trade or occupation, or of low social status; to be intellectually or culturally elevated → obs.
1855 — LEVEL AT THE MOON to be very ambitious (Bk.)
1878 — BITE OFF MORE THAN ONE CAN CHEW to be too ambitious, to undertake too much → orig. US
1902 — AMBISH to be ambitious → Amer. dial. (Bk.)
1927 — FEEL ONE’S KEEPING to feel ambitious, confident; to be in good health and spirits → Amer. dial.
1966 — FEEL ONE’S KEEP to feel ambitious, confident; to be in good health and spirits → Amer. dial.