ambage

A1M3B3A1G2E1
/ˈæmbɪd͡ʒ/

noun

Evasive or ambiguous language; circumlocution.

“Puttenham, Art of Poesie without any long studie or tedious ambage”

Similar
circumlocutionperiphrasis
OriginMiddle English ambages ← French ambage ← Latin ambāgēs →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

nounambage (countable and uncountable, plural ambages)

plural ambages

  1. countablein pluralliteraryoftenrhetoricuncountableEvasive or ambiguous language; circumlocution.

    Puttenham, Art of Poesie without any long studie or tedious ambage

    1 more example

    Umh! y' are full of ambage.

    1607, Decker, Whore of Babylon
  2. countablein pluralliteraryoftenrhetoricuncountableAn indirect or obscure path.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna style that involves indirect ways of expressing things

Similar
circumlocutionperiphrasis
Broader
verbosenessverbosity
Also see
circumlocutionperiphrasis

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinambāgēs“a roundabout or circuitous path”
  2. Frenchambage
  3. Middle Englishambages
  4. Englishambage

Inherited from Middle English ambages, from French ambage as well as its etymon Latin ambāgēs (“a roundabout or circuitous path”).

More words from Middle English, French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ambage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ambage

MLA

“ambage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ambage. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ambage,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ambage.

Source: ambage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.