Meaning & use

ambitious project

phrase·Everyday

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UK/æmˈbɪʃəs ˈprɒdʒɛkt/
US/æmˈbɪʃəs ˈprɑːdʒɛkt/

Meaning

  1. phrasecountable

    A plan or piece of work that is large, difficult, and requires a lot of effort or resources.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an ambitious project' or 'ambitious projects'.

    Patterns

    • an ambitious project
    • an ambitious project to do something
    • embark on an ambitious project

    The city launched an ambitious project to plant a million trees.

    Building the new subway line was an ambitious project that took ten years.

    She is working on an ambitious project to map the human brain.

Word forms

pluralambitious projects

Common combinations

embark on an ambitious project
The team embarked on an ambitious project to redesign the entire website.
launch an ambitious project
The government launched an ambitious project to improve rural schools.
an ambitious project to
They started an ambitious project to clean up the river.
a highly ambitious project
The museum's highly ambitious project attracted international attention.

Synonyms and how they differ

undertaking
A more formal word for a task or project, especially a difficult one; it does not necessarily suggest large size or ambition.
venture
Often used for a new business or risky activity; an ambitious project can be a venture, but a venture is usually commercial.
enterprise
A formal word for a large or important project, often one that involves many people; it can also mean a business.

Opposites

small projectmodest project

Word family

ambition noun
A strong desire to achieve something, or the thing you want to achieve.
ambitious adjective
Having a strong desire to succeed, or (of a plan) needing great effort.
ambitiously adverb
In a way that shows a strong desire to succeed or do something difficult.

Commonly confused: ambitious project or ambivalent?

ambitious project vs ambivalent

Ambivalent means having mixed feelings about something; it is not related to ambition or project size.

Practice

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