ambition vs fancy

ambition

noun
  • An object of an ardent desire. 

  • 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. 

  • A personal quality similar to motivation, not necessarily tied to a single goal. 

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

verb
  • To seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet. 

fancy

noun
  • The object of inclination or liking. 

  • A diamond with a distinctive colour. 

  • In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies). 

  • A whim. 

  • The imagination. 

  • A bite-sized sponge cake, with a layer of cream, covered in icing. 

  • Love or amorous attachment. 

  • The enthusiasts of such a pursuit. 

  • That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value. 

  • Any sport or hobby pursued by a group. 

  • An image or representation of anything formed in the mind. 

  • An opinion or notion formed without much reflection. 

adv
  • In a fancy manner; fancily. 

verb
  • To appreciate without jealousy or greed. 

  • To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners. 

  • would like 

  • To form a conception of; to portray in the mind. 

  • To breed (animals) as a hobby. 

  • To be sexually attracted to. 

  • To imagine, suppose. 

adj
  • Of a superior grade. 

  • Unnecessarily complicated. 

  • Executed with skill. 

  • Decorative, or featuring decorations, especially intricate or diverse ones. 

How often have the words ambition and fancy occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )