Ambitiously

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that expresses a keen drive for accomplishment, showing determination and effort towards lofty goals
2. With a fervent desire for achievement, displaying a proactive approach and persistence in pursuing ambitions
3. In a manner that shows eager determination to reach high goals

Etymology: This is a plain formation: "ambitiously" is the adjective "ambitious" with the suffix "-ly" added, and "ambitious" itself comes from the Latin "ambitiosus", a word that originally carried a sense of going around and canvassing for votes. The "-ly" ending has a much longer pedigree. It traces back through Old English "-līċe", and ultimately to a Proto-Germanic form "*-līkaz" meaning "having the body or form of", which is related to the same root that gives English "like" as in "lich" and "-like". So an adverb such as "ambitiously" is, in effect, "in an ambitious-like manner." Because the suffix is so old, nearly every English adjective ending in "-ous" or "-ic" can take it, and that is why the adverb feels so routine. The word is a straightforward construction, and its history lies mostly in the two parts it is built from.

Synonyms: determinedly, eagerly, diligently

Antonyms: lazily, apathetically, unenthusiastically