大志|たいしtaishi[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounambition; aspiration
   少年しょうねんよ、大志たいしを抱いだけ。↗

   Boys, be ambitious.

• Synonym野望やぼうWrittenWritten register. An ambition that overreaches one's means, often pejorative; 「大志」 leans positive.
• Synonym野心やしんWrittenWritten. A large ambition kept hidden inside; can read as either praise or censure.
• Synonym大願たいがんWrittenWritten. A grand wish; also the Buddha's vow to save all beings, as in 「大願成就」.
• Synonym大望たいもうWrittenWritten but rare. A grand wish stressing far-reaching hopes; very close to 「大志」 in sense.
• Synonym雄志ゆうしWrittenWritten but rare. Highlights a heroic, valiant spirit in one's ambition; close to 「大志」.
• SynonymアンビションNeutralLoanword, a near-literal take on English 'ambition'; rare and less used than 「大志」.
• Synonym雄心ゆうしんWrittenWritten but rare. Stresses a bold, dashing spirit that charges ahead; rarer than 「大志」.
• Related夢ゆめNeutralNeutral, everyday word. A dream or cherished wish, softer in feel than 「大志」.
• Related志こころざしWrittenWritten. A goal one is resolved to achieve; not necessarily grand in scale.
• Related理想りそうWrittenPoints to the most perfect state of things; does not stress grand scale.
• Related宿願しゅくがんWrittenWritten. A wish cherished over many years; not necessarily a grand one.
• RelatedドリームNeutralLoanword for a dream or longed-for goal, common in names and ads; lighter than 「大志」, no stress on grandeur.
• Related功名心こうみょうしんWrittenWritten but rare. The urge to get ahead in the world and make a name for oneself.
• Related宿望しゅくぼうWrittenWritten but rare. Synonymous with 「宿願」: a wish held for years.
• Antonym小志WrittenWritten. A small ambition — the opposite of 「大志」 with its grand aims.
• Antonym無志WrittenWritten. Having no ambition at all — the opposite of 「大志」.

Use 「大志」 for a grand, positive ambition, as in 「少年よ大志を抱け」. For everyday dreams pick 「夢」; for ambition with a negative or overreaching shade, 「野望」 or 「野心」; for a resolved goal of any size, 「志」. 「理想」 is an ideal, 「宿願」 a long-held wish, and the loanwords アンビション and ドリーム are rare or lighter in tone.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. （たいし）大おおきな志こころざし。