somewhat ambitious

USAGE SUMMARY

"somewhat ambitious" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe something that is more than average but not excessive. For example, "The project was somewhat ambitious but it paid off in the end."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Clearly, demolishing it by three or four o'clock was somewhat ambitious.

The Guardian - Books

On paper, commissioning eight one-hour episodes of The Big Reunion must have seemed somewhat ambitious.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

My dreams of transforming him into a full-time yogi are proved somewhat ambitious.

The Guardian - Travel

I've always done things a little differently, I don't mind controversy, and my deals tend to be somewhat ambitious.

The Washington Post

Twitter Music (or rather Twitter #music – its official title) launched in April 2013 with the somewhat ambitious promise that it would "change the way people find music, based on Twitter".

The Guardian - Tech

So it's somewhat ambitious of Nikon to aim at this elevated market, where competition is tough, standards are high and prices are higher.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

We were doing things in a fairly ambitious, somewhat arrogant, way and were not fully sure of how long or complicated it was gonna get.

Vice

The EU responded with somewhat less ambitious proposals.

The Economist

A somewhat more ambitious type of stabilization policy emerged in the period after World War I.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It was not until late 1999 that he approved a somewhat less ambitious proposal: the 9/11 plan.

The New Yorker

From a wine list that is somewhat more ambitious than most, we selected the 1999 Frankovka Barrique ($19.75), a soft, pleasant red.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "somewhat ambitious" to describe goals or plans that are more challenging than average, but still realistically attainable. It strikes a balance between aspiration and feasibility.

Common error

Avoid using "somewhat ambitious" when the plan is clearly excessively difficult or unrealistic. Opt for phrases like "overly ambitious" or "highly ambitious" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "somewhat ambitious" primarily functions as a modifier, specifically an adjective phrase, describing a noun or noun phrase. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. It suggests that the quality being described is more than average, but not excessively so, as seen in various examples from Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "somewhat ambitious" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe plans or goals that are more challenging than average, but not excessively so. Ludwig AI validates its correctness and provides numerous examples of its usage across diverse contexts. It appears most frequently in news and media sources, suggesting a neutral register. When considering alternative phrases, options like "moderately ambitious" or "fairly ambitious" can be used to express similar meanings with slight variations in intensity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

moderately ambitious

Replaces "somewhat" with "moderately", suggesting a slightly more measured level of ambition.

fairly ambitious

Substitutes "somewhat" with "fairly", indicating a comparable degree of ambition.

slightly ambitious

Uses "slightly" instead of "somewhat", denoting a marginally lower level of ambition.

reasonably ambitious

Employs "reasonably" in place of "somewhat", suggesting a justified or sensible level of ambition.

relatively ambitious

Replaces "somewhat" with "relatively", implying ambition when compared to something else.

kind of ambitious

Uses the more informal "kind of" instead of "somewhat".

a little ambitious

Substitutes "somewhat" with "a little", indicating a slightly weaker degree of ambition.

somewhat bold

Replaces "ambitious" with "bold", shifting the focus to courage or audacity.

rather optimistic

Substitutes "ambitious" with "optimistic", changing the meaning to a positive outlook.

quite challenging

Replaces "ambitious" with "challenging", focusing on the difficulty involved.

FAQs

How to use "somewhat ambitious" in a sentence?

You can use "somewhat ambitious" to describe a project, goal, or plan that is more challenging or extensive than average, but not excessively so. For example, "The company's expansion plans are "somewhat ambitious", but achievable with careful planning."

What can I say instead of "somewhat ambitious"?

You can use alternatives like "moderately ambitious", "fairly ambitious", or "slightly ambitious" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "somewhat ambitious" or "a bit ambitious"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct and have similar meanings. "Somewhat ambitious" is slightly more formal, while "a bit ambitious" is more informal. The choice depends on the desired tone and context.

What's the difference between "somewhat ambitious" and "very ambitious"?

"Somewhat ambitious" implies a moderate level of challenge or aspiration, while "very ambitious" suggests a high degree of difficulty or extensiveness. The former is less intense than the latter.