Ambiguous Meaning in English
word
æmˈbɪɡjuəs
am-BIG-yoo-uhs
æmbˈɪɡjuːəs
am-BIG-yoo-uhs
Definition
Something is ambiguous if it has more than one possible meaning or it is not clear.
Usage & Nuances
"Ambiguous" is formal and often used in academic, legal, or technical contexts. Common collocations include "ambiguous statement", "ambiguous answer", and "morally ambiguous". Don't confuse with "vague" (unclear, lacking detail) or "equivocal" (deliberately ambiguous).
Spanish: ambiguo - confusoPortuguese (BR): ambíguo - duvidosoPortuguese (PT): ambíguo - dúbioChinese (Simplified): 模糊不清 - 含糊Chinese (Traditional): 模糊不清 - 含糊Hindi: अस्पष्ट - द्विअर्थीArabic: غامض - ملتبسBengali: দ্ব্যর্থবোধক - অস্পষ্টRussian: двусмысленный - неоднозначныйJapanese: 曖昧な - 不明確なVietnamese: mơ hồ - nhập nhằngKorean: 모호한 - 애매한Turkish: belirsiz - iki anlamlı (çift anlamlı)Urdu: غیر واضح - مبہمIndonesian: ambiguitas - tidak jelas
Example Sentences
His answer was ambiguous and nobody understood it.
basic
The instructions were ambiguous, so I didn't know what to do.
basic
This word is ambiguous and can have two meanings.
basic
It’s a bit ambiguous, so you might want to ask for clarification.
natural
The ending of the movie was so ambiguous—did he survive or not?
natural
I found her message pretty ambiguous; I wasn’t sure what she meant.
natural