| 释义 |
ambitious, a.|æmˈbɪʃəs|
Also 4–6 ambicious, cyous(e, etc.
[ad. Fr. ambitieux, or its orig., L. ambitiōs-us: see ambition and -ous.]
1. Full of ambition, thirsting after honour or advancement; aspiring to high position.
1382Wyclif 1 Cor. xiii. 5 Not inblowyn..not ambicious, or coueitous of worschipis [Vulg. ambitiosa]. 1484Caxton Curial 6 Thambycious vanyte of the peple of the court. 1538Bale Thre Lawes 1609 The first are ambycyouse prelates. 1601Shakes. Jul. C. iii. ii. 95 Did this in Cæsar seeme Ambitious? 1667Milton P.L. i. 41 With ambitious aim Against the Throne and Monarchy of God. 1711Addison Spect. No. 256 ⁋7 How few ambitious men are there, who have got as much Fame as they desired. 1876Mozley Univ. Serm. iv. 79 An ambitious mind..wants success.
2. Strongly desirous (of something expected to bring credit or honour), eager. Const. of (for obs.) a thing; to be or do something.
1513More Rich. III, Wks. 1557, 65/2 His owne ambicious minde and deuise, to..take himself the crown. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. ii. vii. 43 O that I were a foole, I am ambitious for a motley coat. 1651Hobbes Leviathan i. xi. 48 Men that are ambitious of Military Command. 1653Walton Angl. (1877) 51 You are such a companion..as makes me ambitious to be your scholer. 1718Lady M. Montague Lett. II. lvi. 86 An ambitious thirst after knowledge. 1855H. Reed Lect. Eng. Lit. iii. (1878) 100 The half educated are always most ambitious of long words.
3. fig. Erecting itself, as if aspiring to rise; rising, swelling, towering.
1601Shakes. Jul. C. i. iii. 7, I haue seene Th'ambitious Ocean swell. 1605B. Jonson Volpone i. ii. (1616) 455 Hood an asse..So you can hide his two ambitious eares, And he shall passe for a cathedrall Doctor. c1735Pope Mor. Ess. iv. 59 Helps th'ambitious hill the heav'ns to scale.
4. Of works of art, etc.: Displaying ambition or aspiration on the part of the author; aspiring or pretending to take a high position.
1751Johnson Rambl. No. 156 ⁋2 The simplicity is embarrassed by ambitious additions. 1846Mill Logic ii. vii. §4 Put off the ambitious phraseology. Mod. This ambitious attempt ended in failure.
†5. Circuitous, circumlocutory, ambagious. (A Latinism.) Obs. rare.
1656Vind. Jud. in Phenix (1708) No. 24. 392 Your Worship cannot expect either prolix or polite discourses upon so sad a subject; for who can be ambitious in his own calamity?
†6. quasi-n. An ambitious man. Obs.
c1430Lydg. Bochas viii. i. (1554) 177 a, The proud ambicious called Domician. 1563Homilies ii. xxi. v. (1640) 307 A few ambitious, and malicious are the authours..of Rebellion. |