ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.
driven by ambition
aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.
an aspiration to become president someday
pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.
has literary pretensions
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebPeople that might not otherwise have considered using AI as part of the SDG's aspiration are suddenly eye opened to the subject. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 The two employees at Planned Parenthood practicing on papayas are part of the first wave of advanced practitioners in Connecticut now learning to perform aspiration abortions. Jenna Carlesso, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2022 To say he’d died of probable aspiration was one thing. Eric Boodman, STAT, 12 July 2022 Vacuum aspiration abortions involve the removal of content from the uterus through suction and are usually performed during the first trimester or early in the second. Sarah Swetlik | Sswetlik@al.com, al, 6 July 2022 Dennis Burke is a big burly presence with flashing eyes under bushy eyebrows, a man of obvious personal force, intellectual aspiration, and famously deft hands.BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2022 Such a combination of aspiration and anxiety can be explosive. Michael Beckley, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022 Enzo Ferrari: his name became a boast, an aspiration, and ultimately legend. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 July 2022 The statements achieve both inclusive aspiration and clear differentiation. Gregory Crawford, Forbes, 3 May 2022 See More
ADJECTIVE | VERB + ASPIRATION | PREPOSITION | PHRASESADJECTIVE➤high, lofty遠大的志向;崇高的理想◇He has high aspirations and wants to improve his qualifications.他志向遠大,想提高自身的資歷。➤human, personal, social人類的願望;個人的志向;社會抱負▸➤career, professional事業上的抱負;職業理想▸➤political, presidential政治抱負;總統的願望▸➤academic, artistic, cultural, educational, literary學術志向;藝術理想;文化抱負;教育抱負;文學抱負➤democratic, national民主抱負;民族的熱望VERB + ASPIRATION➤have有志向▸➤achieve, fulfil/fulfill, meet, realize, satisfy實現志向;滿足願望◇a political party that realizes the aspirations of the people能實現人民願望的政黨PREPOSITION➤aspiration for對⋯的強烈願望◇an aspiration for personal power對個人權力的慾望➤aspiration to⋯的大志◇the country's aspirations to independence國家實現獨立的願望➤aspiration towards/toward對於⋯的志向◇aspirations towards / toward starting his own business他自己創業的抱負PHRASES➤dreams and aspirations, goals and aspirations, hopes and aspirations夢想和志向;目標和志向;希望和志向◇She talked about her hopes and aspirations.她談了她的希望和志向。