Ambition vs. Cunning — What's the Difference?

An eager or strong desire to achieve something, such as fame or power.

Marked by or given to artful subtlety and deceptiveness.

The object or goal desired

Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity.

Desire for exertion or activity; energy

Delicately pleasing; pretty or cute

Eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or fame; desire to distinguish one's self from other people.

Skill in deception; guile.

(countable) An object of an ardent desire.

Skill or adeptness in execution or performance; dexterity.

A desire, as in (sense 1), for another person to achieve these things.

Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour.

(uncountable) A personal quality similar to motivation, not necessarily tied to a single goal.

(obsolete) Skillful, artful.

(obsolete) The act of going about to solicit or obtain an office, or any other object of desire; canvassing.

(obsolete) Wrought with, or exhibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious.

To seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet.

Cute, appealing.

The act of going about to solicit or obtain an office, or any other object of desire; canvassing.

Practical knowledge or experience; aptitude in performance; skill, proficiency; dexterity.

An eager, and sometimes an inordinate, desire for preferment, honor, superiority, power, or the attainment of something.

Practical skill employed in a secret or crafty manner; craft; artifice; skillful deceit; art or magic.

To seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet.

The disposition to employ one's skill in an artful manner; craftiness; guile; artifice; skill of being cunning, sly, conniving, or deceitful.

A cherished desire;

The natural wit or instincts of an animal.

A strong drive for success

(obsolete) Knowledge; learning; special knowledge (sometimes implying occult or magical knowledge).

Have as one's ambition

Knowing; skillful; dexterous.

Wrought with, or exhibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious; curious; as, cunning work.

Crafty; sly; artful; designing; deceitful.

Pretty or pleasing; as, a cunning little boy.

Knowledge; art; skill; dexterity.

The faculty or act of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose; fraudulent skill or dexterity; deceit; craft.

Shrewdness in deception;

Shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception

Drafty artfulness (especially in deception)

Attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness;

Marked by skill in deception;

Showing inventiveness and skill;