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"Ambition" vs. "desire": exploring the drive behind our dreams

Reviewed and edited by Anwar Kareem 10/10/2024, 15:29
English.me team member
Ambition and desire. What's the difference?

What is similar?

Both words refer to a strong feeling or drive that motivates a person towards achieving something. They involve a focus on goals or outcomes that a person wants to reach or obtain. Both can also imply a longing or yearning.

What is different?

Ambition often suggests a strong determination to achieve success, status, or a particular goal, and is frequently associated with a forward-thinking and often career-oriented perspective. It implies a level of commitment and planning. Desire, on the other hand, is a broader term that refers to a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. It can be more general and encompass a wide range of wants and needs, both tangible and intangible, without necessarily implying a plan or drive to achieve them.

Which one is more common?

Internet search results for ambition) and desire

Examples of usage

Ambition
  • Her ambition to become a doctor motivated her to study hard.
  • The company's ambition is to expand into international markets.
  • He has the ambition to run a marathon by next year.
Desire
  • He has a desire for knowledge that keeps him reading diverse books.
  • She felt a strong desire to visit her hometown after many years.
  • Their desire to help others led them to volunteer regularly.