Sometimes people have big dreams and work hard to make them come true. These people are called ambitious. They don’t give up easily. They set goals and keep trying, even when it’s tough. In English, we often use idioms to talk about people who want to achieve something. Idioms are special phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. They help us speak in a fun and creative way.
In this article, we’ll learn idioms that describe someone who is ambitious. You might hear these phrases in books, shows, or everyday talk. Each idiom comes with a short meaning and a sentence to help you understand how it is used. You’ll also get a chance to rewrite some simple sentences using the idioms. This will help you learn them better. Let’s take a closer look at these idioms.
Idioms for Ambitious
1. Reach for the stars
Meaning: Try to do something very big or difficult.
Example: Maria wants to be an astronaut. / She’s really reaching for the stars.Ben studied hard because he was reaching for the stars with his science fair project.
Put Differently: Maria is aiming very high. / Ben is trying to achieve something great.
2. Climb the ladder
Meaning: Work hard to get better or higher in a job or goal.
Example: Dad started as a helper and climbed the ladder to become manager. / She is climbing the ladder in her school band.
Put Differently: Dad worked his way up. / She is moving ahead step by step.
3. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than what is needed.
Example: Joey went the extra mile to help his team win. / Lila always goes the extra mile on her school projects.
Put Differently: Joey put in more effort than expected. / Lila tries harder than she has to.
4. Have big dreams
Meaning: Want to do or be something great.
Example:Kevin has big dreams of becoming a famous chef. / I have big dreams of playing in the NBA.
Put Differently:Kevin wants to achieve something amazing. / I hope to do something really special.
5. Shoot for the moon
Meaning: Try to do something very hard or special.
Example:She’s shooting for the moon by trying out for the lead role. / They are shooting for the moon with their business idea.
Put Differently:She’s going for something big. / They’re aiming high.
6. Have a fire in your belly
Meaning: Be very excited and ready to work hard.
Example: Jason has a fire in his belly about robotics. / She showed a fire in her belly during the spelling bee.
Put Differently: Jason is full of energy and drive. / She really wanted to win.
7. Eyes on the prize
Meaning: Stay focused on your goal.
Example: Even with distractions, Kim kept her eyes on the prize. / He’s keeping his eyes on the prize making the honor roll.
Put Differently: Kim didn’t let anything stop her. / He stayed focused on what he wanted.
8. Chase your dreams
Meaning: Try hard to make your dreams come true.
Example: Amy moved to L.A. to chase her dreams of acting. / He’s chasing his dream of becoming a pilot.
Put Differently: Amy is working toward her goal. / He’s going after what he wants.
9. Be hungry for success
Meaning: Really want to do well or win.
Example: The soccer team is hungry for success this season. / Jenny is hungry for success in math class.
Put Differently: The team really wants to win. / Jenny wants to do her best.
10. Burn with desire
Meaning: Feel a strong need to reach your goal.
Example: He burns with desire to write a book. / She burns with desire to lead the school play.
Put Differently: He really wants to do it. / She’s full of passion to reach her goal.
11. Have a goal in mind
Meaning: Know what you want to achieve.
Example: She has a goal in mind to get straight A’s. / I have a goal in mind to win the art contest.
Put Differently: She knows what she wants. / I’m working toward a clear goal.
12. Light a fire under someone
Meaning: Make someone feel like they should hurry and work hard.
Example: The coach lit a fire under the team before the game. / Mom’s talk lit a fire under me to finish my homework.
Put Differently: The coach got them moving. / Mom pushed me to try harder.
13. Push the limits
Meaning: Try to do more than what is normal.
Example: He pushes the limits in every science project. / He pushes the limits in gymnastics.
Put Differently: He always does more than expected. / She works beyond the usual level.
14. Be driven
Meaning: Be motivated and focused.
Example: Nina is driven to be the best dancer. / He’s driven to get a perfect score.
Put Differently: Nina works very hard. / He wants to reach his goal.
15. Go after something
Meaning: Try to get or do something.
Example: She went after the lead role in the play. / They’re going after first place in the contest.
Put Differently: She tried to get it. / They want to win.
16. Be goaloriented
Meaning: Think about reaching goals.
Example: Tim is goaloriented and plans everything. / She’s goaloriented when it comes to reading.
Put Differently: Tim always thinks about what he wants to reach. / She likes to meet her reading targets.
17. Rise to the top
Meaning: Become the best or most successful.
Example: Lily rose to the top of her class. / He rose to the top of the spelling contest.
Put Differently: Lily became number one. / He was the best in the competition.
18. Have a strong will
Meaning: Don’t give up easily.
Example: Jake has a strong will to finish the race. / She has a strong will to learn the piano.
Put Differently: Jake won’t quit. / She keeps trying no matter what.
19. Be a gogetter
Meaning: Always working hard to get what you want.
Example: My brother is a gogetter and always finishes first. / Emma is a gogetter in the student council.
Put Differently: My brother works hard. / Emma is always trying her best.
20. Be full of drive
Meaning: Have energy and focus to reach your goals.
Example: He is full of drive during soccer practice. / She is full of drive in her schoolwork.
Put Differently: He works with lots of energy. / She stays focused and strong.
21. Keep your eyes on the goal
Meaning: Stay focused and not get distracted.
Example: She kept her eyes on the goal during the big project. / He keeps his eyes on the goal of making the team.
Put Differently: She stayed focused. / He didn’t let anything stop him.
22. Never give up
Meaning: Keep trying, even when it’s hard.
Example: Mia never gave up on learning to ride her bike. / He never gave up, even when the math was tough.
Put Differently:Mia kept trying. / He didn’t quit.
23. Dream big
Meaning: Think about doing something great.
Example: I always tell my little sister to dream big. / Caleb dreams big about being a scientist.
Put Differently: I tell her to hope for big things. / Caleb wants to do something great.
24. Be on a mission
Meaning: Be very focused on reaching a goal.
Example: Sarah is on a mission to raise money for the shelter. / I was on a mission to finish my project.
Put Differently: Sarah is working really hard. / I was serious about completing it.
25. Work your way up
Meaning: Start small and move higher by working hard.
Example:Dad worked his way up at the store. / She worked her way up in the school band.
Put Differently:ad earned his position. / She moved up by trying hard.
26. Keep climbing
Meaning: Keep making progress toward a goal.
Example:He kept climbing until he made the baseball team. / She kept climbing in reading level.
Put Differently:He didn’t stop trying. / She moved ahead step by step.
27. Set your sights high
Meaning: Aim for something big or great.
Example: She set her sights high on winning the science fair. / He set his sights high for the track meet.
Put Differently: She aimed for something great. / He wanted to do something special.
28. Take the lead
Meaning: Be the first or main person doing something.
Example:Joe took the lead in the group project. / She took the lead in planning the school event.
Put Differently:Joe was in charge. / She led the way.
29. Go full speed ahead
Meaning: Move quickly and work hard without stopping.
Example: They went full speed ahead with their fundraiser. / I went full speed ahead on my report.
Put Differently: They worked fast and hard. / I gave it my all.
30. Be on fire
Meaning: Be doing really well or working with lots of energy.
Example: Alex was on fire during the spelling contest. / She’s on fire in math this year.
Put Differently: Alex was doing great. / She’s doing really well in class.
31. Take charge
Meaning: Be the one who makes decisions or leads.
Example: Lily took charge during the field trip. / He took charge of the cleanup team.
Put Differently: Lily was the leader. / He led the group.
32. Raise the bar
Meaning: Do something better than before.
Example: Sarah raised the bar with her new artwork. / The team raised the bar this season.
Put Differently: Sarah improved her work. / The team did even better.
33. Give it your all
Meaning: Try your best.
Example: He gave it his all in the race. / She gave it her all on the test.
Put Differently: He did his best. / She tried as hard as she could.
34. Stay the course
Meaning: Keep going with your plan, even if it’s hard.
Example: stayed the course and finished the work. / He stayed the course during practice.
Put Differently: I didn’t quit. / He kept going.
35. On the fast track
Meaning: Moving quickly toward success.
Example: She’s on the fast track to becoming class president. / He’s on the fast track in art class.
Put Differently: She’s moving ahead quickly. / He’s getting better fast.
36. Have something to prove
Meaning: Want to show others what you can do.
Example: Mike had something to prove after the last game. / She had something to prove in the spelling bee.
Put Differently: Mike wanted to show he could do better. / She wanted to show her skills.
37. Make your mark
Meaning: Do something that people will remember.
Example: She made her mark in the school play. / He made his mark in the art show.
Put Differently:he did something special. / He stood out.
38. Keep pushing
Meaning: Don’t stop trying.
Example:I kept pushing until I solved the problem. / She kept pushing through the hard homework.
Put Differently: I didn’t stop. / She kept working.
39. Run with it
Meaning: Take an idea or chance and do your best.
Example:The teacher liked her idea and told her to run with it. / He ran with the chance to play. Put Differently: She went ahead with it. / He made the most of the chance.
40. All in
Meaning: Give all your effort to something.
Example:They were all in for the group project. / She went all in for the tryouts.
Put Differently:They gave everything they had./ She gave it her full effort.
“Rewrite the Sentence” Activity: Idioms for Ambitious
Below are 10 simple sentences that describe a person trying hard to reach a goal. Read each one carefully. Then, rewrite it using one of the idioms for ambitious you learned earlier.
Sentences to Rewrite
- Mia is trying her best to become captain of the soccer team.
- Josh wants to get all A’s on his report card this year.
- Emily is working very hard to win the science fair.
- Brandon kept going even when the homework was really hard.
- Rachel always gives more effort than the teacher asks for.
- Logan keeps thinking about his goal of learning to play guitar.
- Ashley is working really hard to raise money for the animal shelter
- Kevin wants to be the top student in his class.
- Julia plans to be a great writer when she grows up.
- Nathan was very focused during the group project.
Answer Key
- Mia is going after the captain spot on the soccer team.
- Josh is shooting for the moon with his grades this year.
Emily is chasing her dreams of winning the science fair. - Brandon never gave up on his homework, even when it was tough.
- Rachel always goes the extra mile on her assignments.
- Logan has his eyes on the prize of learning guitar.
- Ashley is on a mission to help the animal shelter.
- Kevin is working hard to rise to the top of his class.
- Julia is dreaming big about becoming a writer.
- Nathan kept his eyes on the goal during the group project.
Conclusion
Learning idioms about being ambitious helps us talk about goals in a clearer way. These phrases make speaking and writing more interesting.
Now that you’ve read the idioms, tried using them, and practiced with sentences, you can start adding them to your own writing. It’s a simple way to show strong effort without using the same words every time.
