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
Noun He spoke about his achievements without pretension. I admire his honesty and lack of pretension. The restaurant offers excellent food without pretension.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This lack of pretension is evident from the entrance, which is almost unmarked and easily missed. Ian Malone, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2022 Locals in Seulo scoffed at the pretension of Perdasdefogu to the geriatric throne. Jason Horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, 16 July 2022 Locals in Seulo scoffed at the pretension of Perdasdefogu to the geriatric throne.New York Times, 13 July 2022 The pretension of wine culture leaves a bad taste in her mouth. Taylor Mims, Billboard, 2 June 2022 Rather, his chief pastime involves projecting a constant stream of pretension and scorn. Natalia Winkelman, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2022 Brilliantly impressionistic at times, the series can also veer into bombast and pretension quicker than its lead character can score some drugs at a high school party. Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 17 May 2022 The stylish show is choreographed, as the title would demand, but without pretension. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2022 Maybe there is simply not enough pretension in the world. Rachel Tashjian, Harper's BAZAAR, 20 May 2022 See More