Sometimes, people have big dreams. They want to do great things and work very hard for them. These people are called ambitious. They don’t give up easily. They try, even when it gets hard. We often use special phrases to talk about people like this. These phrases are called idioms. They help us understand strong goals and hard work in fun ways.
This article is about idioms for ambitious people. These idioms show how it feels to reach high and keep going. When we know these idioms, we can better talk about dreams and effort. They help us explain things in a clear and simple way. Let’s learn some of these phrases and how to use them.
Idioms for Ambitious
1. Climbing the ladder
Meaning: Moving up step by step to reach a goal
Give an Instance: She keeps doing better in school she’s climbing the ladder. / He started with small jobs, now he’s the boss.
Substitute Meaning: Moving up / Gaining success
2. Shooting for the stars
Meaning: Aiming for something big
Give an Instance: He’s shooting for the stars by applying to the best schools. / She wants to be a doctor someday she’s aiming high.
Substitute Meaning: Reaching high / Trying for big dreams
3. Going the extra mile
Meaning: Doing more than what is needed
Give an Instance: She went the extra mile by doing extra homework. / He helped clean the classroom even after school ended.
Substitute Meaning: Doing more / Working harder
4. Burning the midnight oil
Meaning: Staying up late to work or study
Give an Instance: He was burning the midnight oil to study for the test. / She stayed up finishing her science project.
Substitute Meaning: Working late / Studying hard
5. Eye on the prize
Meaning: Staying focused on your goal
Give an Instance: She keeps her eye on the prize by practicing daily. / He didn’t get distracted his focus stayed strong.
Substitute Meaning: Staying focused / Watching the goal
6. Moving up in the world
Meaning: Becoming more successful
Give an Instance: After his big win, he’s moving up in the world. / She got a great job and a new car.
Substitute Meaning: Becoming better / Gaining success
7. Going for gold
Meaning: Trying to be the best
Give an Instance: The team is going for gold at the tournament. / He wants to get first place in the spelling bee.
Substitute Meaning: Competing to win / Trying for top
8. Ahead of the pack
Meaning: Doing better than others
Give an Instance: She’s ahead of the pack in math class. / His project stood out from everyone else’s.
Substitute Meaning: Leading / Better than others
9. Climbing the ranks
Meaning: Gaining higher status or level
Give an Instance: He climbed the ranks to become team captain. / She got better and became the lead dancer.
Substitute Meaning: Moving up levels / Getting promoted
10. Trailblazer
Meaning: Someone who does something first
Give an Instance: She’s a trailblazer first in her family to go to college. / He started the first coding club at school.
Substitute Meaning: First to try / Leader in new things
11. Rise and shine
Meaning: Wake up and start working
Give an Instance: She gets up early to study rise and shine! / He’s always ready to go in the morning.
Substitute Meaning: Start the day strong / Wake up and work
12. On the fast track
Meaning: Moving quickly toward success
Give an Instance: With her great grades, she’s on the fast track to college. / He’s learning so fast, it’s like a race.
Substitute Meaning: Quick success / Rapid progress
13. Set your sights high
Meaning: Aim for something big
Give an Instance: He set his sights high with a big dream. / She wants to write a book one day.
Substitute Meaning: Dream big / Reach far
14. Reach for the sky
Meaning: Try your best to do great things
Give an Instance: She always reaches for the sky in her projects. / He doesn’t settle he tries hard.
Substitute Meaning: Go big / Try hard
15. All in
Meaning: Fully committed
Give an Instance: He’s all in with his science project. / She’s giving it everything she has.
Substitute Meaning: Fully trying / Totally focused
16. No pain, no gain
Meaning: You must work hard to succeed
Give an Instance: He studied for hours no pain, no gain. / She practiced piano even when tired.
Substitute Meaning: Hard work pays off / Keep trying
17. Leave no stone unturned
Meaning: Check every way to succeed
Give an Instance: She left no stone unturned for her essay. / He looked everywhere for ideas.
Substitute Meaning: Try every way / Explore all options
18. In it to win it
Meaning: Really trying to win
Give an Instance: He’s in it to win it at the spelling bee. / She won’t stop until she finishes.
Substitute Meaning: Serious about winning / Focused on success
19. Never say die
Meaning: Don’t give up
Give an Instance: Even when she lost, she didn’t quit. / He failed once but kept trying.
Substitute Meaning: Keep going / Don’t stop
20. Aim high
Meaning: Try for something big
Give an Instance: Her goal is to be president she aims high. / He wants to invent something useful.
Substitute Meaning: Big dreams / High goals
21. Going places
Meaning: Someone is likely to succeed
Give an Instance: Her teachers say she’s going places. / He’s always trying new things he’s going places.
Substitute Meaning: Likely to succeed / Doing well
22. Rise to the top
Meaning: Become the best
Give an Instance: She rose to the top of the class. / He worked hard and got to the top of his team.
Substitute Meaning: Became best / Reached highest level
23. Follow your dreams
Meaning: Work toward what you want
Give an Instance: He follows his dreams of being a writer. / She wants to dance on stage.
Substitute Meaning: Chase your goals / Try for what you want
24. Get ahead
Meaning: Make progress
Give an Instance: He’s trying to get ahead by doing extra credit. / She studies hard to stay ahead.
Substitute Meaning: Make progress / Stay in front
25. Reach new heights
Meaning: Do better than ever before
Give an Instance: Her art has reached new heights. / He ran his fastest race yet.
Substitute Meaning: Better than before / Achieve more
26. Make it big
Meaning: Become very successful
Give an Instance: She wants to make it big in music. / He dreams of making it big in sports.
Substitute Meaning: Get famous / Become successful
27. Dream big
Meaning: Have big goals
Give an Instance: She dreams big about being an inventor. / He’s always dreaming of new ideas.
Substitute Meaning: Think big / Imagine big things
28. Put your heart into it
Meaning: Try with full effort
Give an Instance: She put her heart into her project. / He gave it his all in the game.
Substitute Meaning: Try hard / Do your best
29. Big fish in a small pond
Meaning: A successful person in a smaller group
Give an Instance: She’s the best artist in school a big fish in a small pond. / He’s the top of his class.
Substitute Meaning: Best in the group / Stands out
30. Give it your all
Meaning: Use all your effort
Give an Instance: He gave it his all during the spelling bee. / She didn’t hold back she tried her best.
Substitute Meaning: Full effort / Try everything
31. Make a name for yourself
Meaning: Become known for something good
Give an Instance: She made a name for herself with her artwork. / He’s known for his kind heart and hard work.
Substitute Meaning: Get noticed / Be recognized
32. Push the limit
Meaning: Try more than expected
Give an Instance: He pushed the limit by running five miles. / She did extra projects to learn more.
Substitute Meaning: Go beyond / Try extra hard
33. Blaze a trail
Meaning: Be the first to do something new
Give an Instance: She blazed a trail by starting a coding club. / He did something no one else had.
Substitute Meaning: Be a leader / Do something first
34. Break new ground
Meaning: Start something no one else has
Give an Instance: He broke new ground with his science idea. / She found a new way to solve a problem.
Substitute Meaning: Do something new / Try something fresh
35. Leap of faith
Meaning: Try something brave or risky
Give an Instance: She took a leap of faith by trying out. / He wasn’t sure, but he still gave it a shot.
Substitute Meaning: Brave try / Take a chance
36. Give it a shot
Meaning: Try something
Give an Instance: He gave basketball a shot. / She gave the spelling contest a try.
Substitute Meaning: Try / Attempt
37. Think outside the box
Meaning: Use creative ideas
Give an Instance: He thought outside the box for his science fair. / Her story was very creative.
Substitute Meaning: Be creative / Use new ideas
38. Keep your head in the game
Meaning: Stay focused
Give an Instance: He kept his head in the game during the test. / She didn’t let anything distract her.
Substitute Meaning: Stay focused / Don’t get distracted
39. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: Join others doing something popular
Give an Instance: She jumped on the bandwagon and joined student council. / He joined the new art club too.
Substitute Meaning: Join in / Follow the trend
40. Make waves
Meaning: Get noticed in a big way
Give an Instance: His kind actions made waves at school. / She made waves with her big idea.
Substitute Meaning: Get attention / Make a big change
41. Get your foot in the door
Meaning: Start something that may lead to more
Give an Instance: She got her foot in the door with a summer job. / He got a small role in the play it’s a start.
Substitute Meaning: Begin / Take the first step
42. Rise to the occasion
Meaning: Do well in a tough moment
Give an Instance: She rose to the occasion during the contest. / He did great under pressure.
Substitute Meaning: Do your best / Step up
43. Stand out from the crowd
Meaning: Be different in a good way
Give an Instance: His idea stood out from the crowd. / She was noticed for her art skills.
Substitute Meaning: Be special / Get noticed
44. Take the lead
Meaning: Be the one to guide or go first
Give an Instance: She took the lead in the group project. / He showed others how to do it.
Substitute Meaning: Go first / Be the leader
45. Walk the talk
Meaning: Do what you say you will do
Give an Instance: He said he would help and he did. / She always walks the talk.
Substitute Meaning: Keep promises / Act on words
Find the “Idioms for Ambitious”
Reading Passage
Last week, Ms. Torres told our class about a new school contest. We had to come up with a project that could help others. Right away, Emma was ready. She always sets her sights high. She said we should build a kindness board where students could leave nice notes for each other.
Emma took the lead and started planning. She gave it her all, even staying in during lunch to work on it. “If we’re doing this, I’m all in,” she told us. Everyone could see she had her eye on the prize. Some kids thought the idea was too big, but Emma didn’t give up. She said, “No pain, no gain!” and kept going.
Soon, more students joined in. We added drawings and even jokes to the board. Emma encouraged us by saying, “We’re going places!” When it was finished, the principal said we had made waves. The board was such a hit, other classes wanted to make their own.
Emma stood out from the crowd. She dreamed big, and she followed her dreams. In the end, she showed us what ambition really looks like.
Instructions for Students
Read the story again. Find and underline or list all the idioms that show someone is ambitious.
Answer Key
- Sets her sights high
- Took the lead
- Gave it her all
- All in
- Eye on the prize
- No pain, no gain
- Going places
- Made waves
- Stood out from the crowd
- Dreamed big
- Followed her dreams
Conclusion
Idioms help us talk about big dreams in a simple way. When someone works hard and wants to succeed, we call them ambitious. Idioms for ambition, like climbing the ladder or aim high, show how people keep going even when things are tough.
By learning these idioms, we can speak and write more clearly. These phrases help us share stories about effort and success in fun ways. Keep using them as you follow your own dreams.
