What is the difference in hopeful and ambitious?

Hopeful doesnt sound like you are putting much effort getting what you want,
and Ambitious sounds like you are really going after what you want

Hopful impies that the outcome you are hoping for is not really in your control. Ambitious implies working towards an outcome.

To be ambitious certainly implies a level of pro-activeness. It also has a negative connotation sometimes where it can imply that someone will do anything, or almost anything, to get what they want.

“Hopeful” passively anticipates something good happening to you.

“Ambitious” makes plans and acts such that the (good happening) goal cannot fail to occur.

I am hopeful that the tornado will miss my house, so I’ll continue to laze in my hammock, outside.

I am ambitious enough to plan ahead professionally and to do my job well.

Ambition requires some form of imagination.

I am ambitious. I wanna be really really rich, and I will do anything to achieve that, even if it means “bending” some rules, or even doing things that may be immoral or illegal. I am strong and I have the drive to succeed. I am optimistic.

I just applied for this new job and I’m hopeful they might take me. I don’t really think they will though. I dream of the day when I’ll be rich and famous, but can’t be bothered to try. I keep wishing things would be better, but deep inside I know they won’t. I am pessimistic.

I think ambition has somthing more to do with bettering yourself or striving to accomplish somthing actively. I am a super hopeful but not ambitious at all. Hope is ambition’s lazier cousin. Macbeth killed Duncan (ambitious). In Far From the Madding Crowd Boldwood and Troy were ambitious. Gabriel Oak was hopeful.

@mrswho ‘Hope is ambition’s lazier cousin.’ Lurve for that!