Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

ambĭtĭōsus, a, um, adj. [ambitio].

  1. I. (Very rare and mostly poet.) Going round, encompassing; poet., embracing, twining round: lascivis hederis ambitiosior, Hor. C. 1, 36, 20 (cf.: undique ambientibus ramis, Curt. 4, 7, 16).
    Of a river, making circuits, having many windings: Jordanes amnis ambitiosus, Plin. 5, 15, 15, § 71.
    Of oratorical ornament, excessive, superfluous: vir bonus ambitiosa recidet Ornamenta, Hor. A. P. 447.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. That asks for a thing fawningly; esp., that solicits the favor, good-will, etc., of any one, in a good and bad sense, honor-loving, ambitious, courting favor; vain, vainglorious, conceited, etc.: qui ita sit ambitiosus, ut omnes vos nosque cotidie persalutet, Cic. Fl. 18: homo minime ambitiosus, minime in rogando molestus, id. Fam. 13, 1: ne forte me in Graecos tam ambitiosum factum esse mirere, desirous of the favor of the Greeks, id. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2: pro nostris ut sis ambitiosa malis, Ov P. 3, 1, 84: pro nato caerula mater Ambitiosa suo fuit, i.e. begs fawningly of Vulcan for weapons for her son, id. M. 13, 289: malis artibus ambitiosus, seeking to ingratiate one’s self, Tac. H. 2, 57: salubris magis princeps quam ambitiosus, Suet. Aug. 42 al.
    2. B. Pass., that is willingly solicited or entreated, ambitious; much sought, honored, admired: ambitiosus et qui ambit et qui ambitur, Gell. 9, 12: turba caelestes ambitiosa sumus, Ov. F. 5, 298: sexus muliebris saevus, ambitiosus, potestatis avidus, Tac. A. 3, 33: si locuples hostis est, avari; si pauper, ambitiosi, id. Agr. 30: nota quidem sed non ambitiosa domus, not sought after, Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 18 Jahn: ambitiosae pulchritudinis scortum. Just. 30, 2.
    3. C. Of things, vain, ostentatious: amicitiae, founded merely on the desire to please, interested, Cic. Att. 1, 18: rogationes, id. Fam. 6, 12; so id. ib. 6, 6: gloriandi genus, Quint. 11, 1, 22: preces, urgent, Tac. H. 2, 49: sententiae, Suet. Dom. 8: mors, ambitious, i. e. to obtain fame, Tac. Agr. 42: medicina ars, boastful, Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 20: et quaesitorum pelago terrāque ciborum Ambitiosa fames, Luc. 4, 376: atria, splendid, gorgeous, Mart. 12, 69: ambitiosis utilia praeferre, Quint. 1, 2, 27: ambitiosius id existimans quam domi suae majestas postularet, more condescending, submissive, Suet. Aug. 25.
    4. D. In rhet.: orator ambitiosus, who seeks to rouse attention by obsolete or unusual expressions: antigerio nemo nisi ambitiosus utetur, Quint. 8, 3, 26.
      Hence, adv.: ambĭtĭōsē, ambitiously, ostentatiously, etc.: de triumpho ambitiose agere, Cic. Att. 15, 1: ambitiose regnum petere, Liv. 1, 35: amicitias ambitiose colere, Tac. H. 1, 10 al.
      Comp., Cic. Fam. 3, 7.
      Sup., Quint. 6, 3, 68.