overambition
Reaching too high
Overambition is ambition that exceeds what is reasonable or achievable.
It suggests reaching too high, taking on too much, or pursuing goals beyond one's capacity: The project failed due to overambition rather than lack of talent.
The word often appears in postmortems—explaining why something collapsed under its own weight.
Exceeding sustainable capacity
- overcommitmentPromising beyond one's capacity
- oversteppingExceeding appropriate bounds
- excessSurplus beyond need
- overstrainStress beyond healthy limits
overdoing · overshoot · immoderation · overexertion · overkill · overpromising · overscheduling · overplanning
Excessive self-importance
- overconfidenceUnjustified certainty in oneself
- prideSatisfaction from one's achievements
- presumptionBelief held without proof
- egotismInflated sense of self-importance
vanity · conceit · self-importance · narcissism · haughtiness · boastfulness · immodesty · pomposity
Strong desire for achievement
- determinationFirmness of purpose
- driveOperate a vehicle
- relentlessnessUnstoppable persistence
- tenacityPersistent grip or resolve
persistence · climbing · ladder · hustle · grind · status-seeking · achievement · perfectionism
State of utter depletion
- overworkToil to exhaustion
- fatigueWeariness from prolonged exertion
- collapseSudden structural failure
- breakdownFailure or decomposition
depletion · overwhelmed · overburdened · drained · spent · frazzle · weariness · overstrained
Ongoing contest between opponents
- cutthroatViciously competitive or murderous
- one-upmanshipQuest to surpass others
- outpacingExceeding another's speed
- outdoingSurpassing in performance
comparison · status · winner-take-all · zero-sum · ruthlessness · trampling · backstabbing · undermining
overextension
Exceeding sustainable capacity
- overcommitmentPromising beyond one's capacity
- oversteppingExceeding appropriate bounds
- excessSurplus beyond need
overstrain · overdoing · overshoot · immoderation · overexertion · overkill · overpromising · overscheduling · overplanning · juggling
arrogance
Excessive self-importance
- overconfidenceUnjustified certainty in oneself
- prideSatisfaction from one's achievements
- presumptionBelief held without proof
egotism · vanity · conceit · self-importance · narcissism · haughtiness · boastfulness · immodesty · pomposity · smugness
aspiration
Strong desire for achievement
- determinationFirmness of purpose
- driveOperate a vehicle
- relentlessnessUnstoppable persistence
tenacity · persistence · climbing · ladder · hustle · grind · status-seeking · achievement · perfectionism · workaholism
exhaustion
State of utter depletion
breakdown · depletion · overwhelmed · overburdened · drained · spent · frazzle · weariness · overstrained · overextended
rivalry
Ongoing contest between opponents
- cutthroatViciously competitive or murderous
- one-upmanshipQuest to surpass others
- outpacingExceeding another's speed
outdoing · comparison · status · winner-take-all · zero-sum · ruthlessness · trampling · backstabbing · undermining · overtaking
- impracticalitiesimpracticality, pipe dream, pie in the sky, castle in the air, fool's errand
- excessexcess, too much, excessive, excessiveness, overabundance
overambitionlack of ambition
Absence of drive
apathy · unambitious · laziness · complacency · indolence
overambitioncontentment
Peaceful satisfaction with circumstances
satisfaction · complacency · acceptance · equanimity · serenity
overambitionmodesty
Absence of vanity
humility · realism · prudence · temperance · moderation