German word

ehrgeizig

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈeːɐ̯gaɪ̯tsɪç/

Meaning

  • adjectiveambitious

Example

Sie ist sehr ehrgeizig.

She is very ambitious.

Illustration for ehrgeizig (ambitious)

More examples

Im Team führten ehrgeizige Ziele oft zu Spannungen.

In the team, ambitious goals often led to tensions.

Core concept

A person keeps raising the target and working steadily toward success or recognition.

Common phrases

  • ehrgeizige Ziele

    ambitious goals

  • ehrgeiziges Projekt

    ambitious project

  • ehrgeiziger Plan

    ambitious plan

Similar words

ambitioniert: Strongly motivated to achieve excellent results and earn high praise.
zielstrebig: Focused on reaching a goal efficiently and persistently.

Definition in German

so, dass jemand stark nach Erfolg oder Anerkennung strebt und ehrgeizige Ziele setzt.

Word origin

Ehrgeizig derives from the noun Ehrgeiz with the adjective suffix -ig, while Ehrgeiz comes from Middle High German ere for honor and gīz for greedy desire.

Usage tips

  • Ehrgeizig can sound positive or critical, so context determines whether it means commendably driven or excessively hungry for success.

Other meanings

  • drivenadjective
  • aspiringadjective

Opposites

  • ehrgeizlosunambitiousadjective
  • bescheidenmodestadjective

Related words

  • Ehrgeizambitionnoun
  • Ehrgeizigkeitambitiousnessnoun

Word lists with this word