ambitiosus

ambĭtĭōsus, a, um, adj. [ambitio].

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.—

II.

Transf.

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. —

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. —

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.—

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. [p. 103] H. 1, 10 al.— Comp., Cic. Fam. 3, 7.— Sup., Quint. 6, 3, 68.