What's the difference between ambitious and highflier?

Ambitious

Definition:

(a.) Possessing, or controlled by, ambition; greatly or inordinately desirous of power, honor, office, superiority, or distinction.
(a.) Strongly desirous; -- followed by of or the infinitive; as, ambitious to be or to do something.
(a.) Springing from, characterized by, or indicating, ambition; showy; aspiring; as, an ambitious style.

Example Sentences:

(1) While there has been almost no political reform during their terms of office, there have been several ambitious steps forward in terms of environmental policy: anti-desertification campaigns; tree planting; an environmental transparency law; adoption of carbon targets; eco-services compensation; eco accounting; caps on water; lower economic growth targets; the 12th Five-Year Plan; debate and increased monitoring of PM2.5 [fine particulate matter] and huge investments in eco-cities, "clean car" manufacturing, public transport, energy-saving devices and renewable technology.
(2) Her success has not been universally welcomed - anonymous colleagues are occasionally quoted in the media portraying her as "ambitious" and "bossy".
(3) The agreement, hailed as a "landmark" deal and a breakthrough by politicians and the green lobby alike, came before a crucial EU summit opening in Brussels tomorrow at which 27 prime ministers and presidents are supposed to finalise an ambitious package to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020.
(4) The minister for health, Mamy Lalatiana Andriamanarivo, says he is determined to push ahead with ambitious plans for universal free healthcare.
(5) Britain's Climate Change Act 2008, the most ambitious legislation of its kind in the world, calls for reductions of about 3% each year to 2050.
(6) When she filmed Snowden, Glenn Greenwald and myself in Hong Kong, it never occurred to me she had something as ambitious as CitizenFour in mind.
(7) At the other end the first meaningful touch from Castillo sees him attempt an ambitious chip to finish a rare US break.
(8) The Liberal surge in February 1974 and the rise of the SDP in the early 1980s showed that protest politics was translating into something more ambitious.
(9) In 1972, he launched a more ambitious plan by buying Hintlesham Hall, a decrepit grade-11 listed building in Suffolk, converting it into a home and three restaurants and taking over the Hintlesham festival held there.
(10) Like many ambitious young writers, he sought both popular success and literary acclaim.
(11) Meanwhile he is preparing a new double piano concerto by Kevin Volans with the Labèque sisters for a concert at the Edinburgh festival next week, and he tells me with a glint in his eye about ideas for the next two seasons: concert performances of Don Giovanni this October, more Brahms symphonies, and more Berlioz – an ambitious plan to realise the gigantic drama of Roméo and Juliette on a chamber-orchestral scale, following up his rapturously received performances of L'Enfance du Christ in February.
(12) "I am looking forward to … producing ambitious, daring and engaging content both in the UK and internationally, as well as accessing their extensive library of film content."
(13) Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ambitious … Alice Fraser.
(14) His pupils are ambitious and successful, but many come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
(15) Brian Otis, Verily’s chief technology officer, said: “This is an ambitious collaboration allowing GSK and Verily to combine forces and have a huge impact on an emerging field.
(16) Banking group HBOS was not driven to point of bankruptcy by the global financial meltdown, but by its own strategy of high-risk lending, over-ambitious growth targets and poor controls, according to a hard-hitting report by the parliamentary commission on banking standards.
(17) "Our ownership model means that we can take a long-term view and we are as driven, determined and ambitious as ever to modernise our business.
(18) I'm not in the least ambitious, never have been, and I don't tread on people.
(19) Scott's ambitious design for the hotel and station clearly plundered the architectural treasuries of medieval Europe.
(20) She said: "The targets do not look that ambitious, while the failure of the banks to meet their previous targets without any obvious repercussions means they have little incentive to meet these new ones."