AMBIGUOUS
Word of the Week
AMBIGUOUS
am·big·u·ous
adjective \am-ˈbi-gyə-wəs\: able to be understood in more than one way : having more than one possible meaning
: not expressed or understood clearly
Full Definition of AMBIGUOUS
1a : doubtful or uncertain especially from obscurity or indistinctness <eyes of an ambiguous color>
b : inexplicable
2: capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways <an ambiguous smile> <an ambiguous term> <a deliberately ambiguous reply>
— am·big·u·ous·ly adverb
— am·big·u·ous·ness noun
Examples of AMBIGUOUS
- We were confused by the ambiguous wording of the message.
- He looked at her with an ambiguous smile.
- Due to the ambiguous nature of the question, it was difficult to choose the right answer.
- the ambiguous position of women in modern society
- Greater familiarity with this artist makes one's assessment of him more tentative rather than less. His best pictures exude a hypersensitive, ambiguous aura of grace. —Peter Schjeldahl, New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2003
Related to AMBIGUOUS
Synonyms
obscure, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical (or elliptic), enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, fuliginous, inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, occult, opaque
Antonyms
accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal
Related Words
abstruse, esoteric, recondite; cloaked, concealed, disguised, masked, shrouded; beclouded, bedimmed, befogged, clouded, cloudy, dim, faint, foggy, fuzzy, hazy, indistinct, indistinguishable, misty, muddy, obfuscatory, obnubilated, obscurant (or obscurantic), shaded, shadowlike, shadowy, sphinxlike; indefinite, inexact, inexplicit, noncommittal, questionable, unclear, uncertain, undefined, undetermined, vague; impenetrable, incomprehensible, indecipherable, inexplicable; eerie (also eery), uncanny, weird; impalpable, inappreciable, intangible, invisible; unanswerable, unknowable; baffling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling, unfathomable; circuitous, indirect, roundabout; complex, complicated, difficult, obtuse
Near Antonyms
comprehensible, fathomable, intelligible, knowable, legible, pellucid, understandable; bright, distinct, evident, self-evident, self-explanatory; certain, firm, strong, sure; defined, determined; direct, straightforward; definite, exact, explicit; appreciable, palpable, tangible, visible; blatant, patent, unmistakable