Meanings
comparative more ambiguous · superlative most ambiguous
- Open to multiple interpretations.
The politician was criticized for his ambiguous statements and lack of precision.
Synonyms: equivocal, unclear, equivocal, fuzzy, generic, gray, imperspicuous, imprecise · Antonyms: unambiguous, clear
- obsoleteHesitant; uncertain; not taking sides.
And forasmuch as in this same question I am ambiguous, and Simplicius is resolute....
1662, Thomas Salusbury, Mathematical collections and translations, in two tomes - Salusbury
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOpen to multiple interpretations.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveopen to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
adjectivehaving more than one possible meaning
adjectivehaving no intrinsic or objective meaning; not organized in conventional patterns
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts?
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰí
- Proto-Italic*amβi-
- Latinambi-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
- Proto-Italic*agō
- Latinagō
- Latinambig(ō)
- Latinambiguu
- Englishambiguous
From Latin ambiguus (“moving from side to side, of doubtful nature”), from ambigere (“to go about, wander, doubt”), from ambi- (“around, about, on both sides”) + agere (“to drive, move”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀμφίβολος
- ἀμφίβολος (amphíbolos)open to multiple interpretations
Arabic غَامِض
- غَامِض (ḡāmiḍ)open to multiple interpretations
Bulgarian двусмислен
- двусмислен (dvusmislen)open to multiple interpretations
Catalan ambigu
- ambiguopen to multiple interpretations
Chinese Cantonese 曖昧 /暧昧, 含糊
- 曖昧 /暧昧 (oi³ mui⁶, oi² mui⁶)open to multiple interpretations
- 含糊 (ham⁴ wu⁴)open to multiple interpretations
- 模稜兩可 /模棱两可 (mou⁴ ling⁴ loeng⁵ ho²)open to multiple interpretations
Chinese Mandarin 模稜兩可 /模棱两可, 歧義 /歧义
- 模稜兩可 /模棱两可 (móléng liǎngkě)open to multiple interpretations
- 歧義 /歧义 (qíyì)open to multiple interpretations
- 曖昧 /暧昧 (àimèi)open to multiple interpretations
Czech mnohoznačný
- mnohoznačnýopen to multiple interpretations
Danish tvetydig, flertydig
- tvetydigopen to multiple interpretations
- flertydigopen to multiple interpretations
- dobbelttydigopen to multiple interpretations
Dutch meerduidig, dubbelzinnig
- meerduidigopen to multiple interpretations
- dubbelzinnigopen to multiple interpretations
- ambiguopen to multiple interpretations
Esperanto ambigua, plursenca
- ambiguaopen to multiple interpretations
- plursencaopen to multiple interpretations
Finnish moniselitteinen, monitulkintainen
- moniselitteinenopen to multiple interpretations
- monitulkintainenopen to multiple interpretations
- tulkinnanvarainenopen to multiple interpretations
French ambigu
- ambiguopen to multiple interpretations
German mehrdeutig (doppeldeutig, zweideutig)
- mehrdeutig (doppeldeutig, zweideutig)open to multiple interpretations
Greek αμφίσημος
- αμφίσημος (amfísimos)open to multiple interpretations
Hebrew דו משמעי
- דו משמעי (du mashmaí)open to multiple interpretations
Hungarian többértelmű, kétértelmű
- többértelműopen to multiple interpretations
- kétértelműopen to multiple interpretations
- nem egyértelműopen to multiple interpretations
Icelandic óskýr
- óskýropen to multiple interpretations
Indonesian rancu, kabur
- rancuopen to multiple interpretations
- kaburopen to multiple interpretations
Italian ambiguo
- ambiguoopen to multiple interpretations
Japanese 曖昧な
- 曖昧な (aimai na)open to multiple interpretations
Korean 모호한
- 모호한 (mohohan)open to multiple interpretations
Latin ambiguus
- ambiguusopen to multiple interpretations
Malay taksa, kabur
- taksaopen to multiple interpretations
- kaburopen to multiple interpretations
Māori rangirua
- rangiruaopen to multiple interpretations
Norwegian flertydig, tvetydig
- flertydigopen to multiple interpretations
- tvetydigopen to multiple interpretations
Polish wieloznaczny, dwuznaczny
- wieloznacznyopen to multiple interpretations
- dwuznacznyopen to multiple interpretations
Portuguese ambíguo, dúbio
- ambíguoopen to multiple interpretations
- dúbioopen to multiple interpretations
Romanian ambiguu, cu multe sensuri
- ambiguuopen to multiple interpretations
- cu multe sensuriopen to multiple interpretations
Russian двусмы́сленный, неоднозна́чный
- двусмы́сленный (dvusmýslennyj)open to multiple interpretations
- неоднозна́чный (neodnoznáčnyj)open to multiple interpretations
- многозна́чный (mnogoznáčnyj)open to multiple interpretations
Spanish ambiguo
- ambiguoopen to multiple interpretations
Swedish tvetydig, dubbeltydig
- tvetydigopen to multiple interpretations
- dubbeltydigopen to multiple interpretations
Tagalog talohimig, taluhimig
- talohimigopen to multiple interpretations
- taluhimigopen to multiple interpretations
Thai คลุมเครือ, กำกวม
- คลุมเครือ (klum kreua)open to multiple interpretations
- กำกวม (gam-guuam)open to multiple interpretations
Turkish belirsiz, iki anlamlı
- belirsizopen to multiple interpretations
- iki anlamlıopen to multiple interpretations
- ikircilopen to multiple interpretations
- müphemopen to multiple interpretations
Ukrainian багатозначний
- багатозначний (bahatoznačnyj)open to multiple interpretations
Vietnamese tối nghĩa
- tối nghĩaopen to multiple interpretations
Welsh amwys
- amwysopen to multiple interpretations
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with ambiguous
All rhymes →Cite this entry
ambiguous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ambiguous
“ambiguous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ambiguous. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ambiguous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ambiguous.
Source: ambiguous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.