Thanks, Barbara! In Russian, BTW, амбициозный is said to be moving towards positive (see Irina Levontina's essay in Stengazeta), but for me it still means something rather negative.

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Thanks, I'll look at that! And I just thought of another interesting pair: ladylike and unladylike. Ladylike used to be positive, but now it would be positive only in some circles and quite insulting in other, more feminist, circles. (Many (most?) adult females now prefer to be called 'women', and consider the term 'ladies' to be a bit condescending.) But not wanting to be called 'ladylike' doesn't mean wanting to be called 'unladylike'!

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And what about "gentelmanlike"? Is it still positive, or is it just completely non-existent?

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We need a sociolinguist who is keeping statistics over time to be sure -- but for myself, "gentlemanly" is positive but old-fashioned.

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Thanks. I guess "genltelmanlike" must have been refreshed by the overwhelming popularity of some Jane Austen's TV-adaptations...

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