What is another word for ambiguous?
Synonyms for ambiguous
æmˈbɪg yu əsam·bigu·ous
This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word ambiguous.
Wiktionary
ambiguousadjective
Synonyms:
equivocalAntonyms:
specific, precise, unambiguousambiguousadjective
Open to multiple interpretations.
The politician was criticized for his ambiguous statements and lack of precision.
Synonyms:
equivocalAntonyms:
specific, precise, unambiguousambiguousadjective
Vague and unclear.
He gave an ambiguous answer.
Synonyms:
equivocalAntonyms:
precise, unambiguous, specificambiguousadjective
Of persons: hesitant; uncertain; not taking sides.
Thomas Salusbury (1662): And forasmuch as in this same question I am ambiguous, and Simplicius is resolute....
Synonyms:
equivocalAntonyms:
specific, unambiguous, precise
English Synonyms and Antonyms
ambiguous
Equivocal (Latin equus, equal, and vox, voice, word) denotes that which may equally well be understood in either of two or more ways. Ambiguous (Latin ambi, around, and ago, drive, lead) signifies lacking in distinctness or certainty, obscure or doubtful through indefiniteness of expression. Ambiguous is applied only to spoken or written statements; equivocal has other applications. A statement is ambiguous when it leaves the mind of the reader or hearer to fluctuate between two meanings, which would fit the language equally well; it is equivocal when it would naturally be understood in one way, but is capable of a different interpretation; an equivocal expression is, as a rule, intentionally deceptive, while an ambiguous utterance may be simply the result of a want either of clear thought or of adequate expression. That which is enigmatical must be guessed like a riddle; a statement may be purposely made enigmatical in order to provoke thought and study. That is doubtful which is fairly open to doubt; that is dubious which has become the subject of doubts so grave as scarcely to fall short of condemnation; as, a dubious reputation. Questionable may be used nearly in the sense either of dubious or of doubtful; a questionable statement is one that must be proved before it can be accepted. To say that one's honesty is questionable is a mild way of saying that in the opinion of the speaker he is likely to prove dishonest. Equivocal is sometimes, tho more rarely, used in this sense. A suspicious character gives manifest reason to be suspected; a suspicious temper is inclined to suspect the motives and intentions of others, with or without reason. Compare CLEAR.
Synonyms:
doubtful, dubious, enigmatic, enigmatical, equivocal, indefinite, indeterminate, indistinct, obscure, perplexing, questionable, suspicious, uncertainAntonyms:
certain, clear, distinct, evident, indisputable, indubitable, lucid, manifest, obvious, perspicuous, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal, unquestionable, unquestioned
Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms
ambiguous
Synonyms:
equivocal, vague, doubtful, enigmatical, uncertain, obscure, unintelligible, perplexing, indistinct, dubiousAntonyms:
univocal, obvious, plain, clear, unambiguous, indisputable, necessary, unmistakable, unequivocal, lucid
Princeton's WordNet
equivocal, ambiguousadjective
open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
"an equivocal statement"; "the polling had a complex and equivocal (or ambiguous) message for potential female candidates"; "the officer's equivocal behavior increased the victim's uneasiness"; "popularity is an equivocal crown"; "an equivocal response to an embarrassing question"
Synonyms:
equivocalAntonyms:
unambiguous, structured, monosemousambiguousadjective
having more than one possible meaning
"ambiguous words"; "frustrated by ambiguous instructions, the parents were unable to assemble the toy"
Synonyms:
equivocalAntonyms:
monosemous, unambiguous, structuredambiguousadjective
having no intrinsic or objective meaning; not organized in conventional patterns
"an ambiguous situation with no frame of reference"; "ambiguous inkblots"
Synonyms:
equivocalAntonyms:
structured, monosemous, unambiguous
Matched Categories
Dictionary of English Synonymes
ambiguousadjective
Synonyms:
doubtful, dubious, uncertain or equivocal, enigmatical, indefinite, indistinct, vague, indeterminate, not plain, not clear, susceptible of more than one meaning
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
ambiguousadjective
Synonyms:
indefinite, delphic, equivocal, vague, doubtful
PPDB, the paraphrase database
List of paraphrases for "ambiguous":
unclear, equivocal, vague, mysterious, ambivalent, obscure, dubious, blurred, shadowy, half-hearted, confusing, unambiguous, uncertain
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Words popularity by usage frequency
ranking | word | |
---|---|---|
#9735 | mysterious | |
#10949 | confusing | |
#11666 | uncertain | |
#12929 | unclear | |
#13380 | obscure | |
#13890 | suspicious | |
#14437 | vague | |
#15385 | questionable | |
#17795 | ambiguous | |
#20066 | doubtful | |
#22231 | indefinite | |
#23071 | dubious | |
#23615 | blurred | |
#32675 | unambiguous | |
#36208 | indeterminate | |
#37424 | enigmatic | |
#38689 | shadowy | |
#45217 | unintelligible | |
#45950 | ambivalent | |
#53854 | perplexing | |
#67973 | indistinct | |
#70807 | equivocal |
How to use ambiguous in a sentence?
It would be our second face-to-face meeting, nothing to do with the war, but now, The Patriarch too agrees : let's stop, it could be an ambiguous signal.
When they start hearing that kind of ambiguous message coming out of Washington, there are more and more people that won't wear masks, that won't social distance, that won't do what it takes to keep a community safe.
There is no specific agreement for a phased rollback of the tariffs, the American side has been ambiguous when and which tariffs will be lifted. The Chinese have some wishful thinking and are trying to soothe their domestic hardliners that the tariffs will someday come off.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov:
Within the U.S.-led coalition there should no ambiguous talk about any ‘Plan B’, about a ground operation being planned, or about the creation of some buffer no-fly zones, which have long been recognized as absolutely unacceptable.
The bill is so ambiguous and so vague that doctors cannot be certain what medical circumstances would be considered ‘necessary to preserve the life of the mother,’ the absence of any definition, analysis or medical standard renders this exception vague, indefinite and vulnerable to subjective interpretation and application.
Translations for ambiguous
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- غامضArabic
- неясен, двусмисленBulgarian
- ambiguCatalan, Valencian
- mnohoznačnýCzech
- dobbelttydig, dunkel, forblommet, tvetydig, flertydigDanish
- doppeldeutig, vage, unklar, mehrdeutig, zweideutigGerman
- ambiguoSpanish
- مبهمPersian
- epäselvä, moniselitteinen, tulkinnanvarainenFinnish
- ambiguFrench
- ambiguoGalician
- félreérthetőHungarian
- երկիմաստArmenian
- kabur, rancuIndonesian
- óskýrIcelandic
- ambiguoItalian
- 曖昧な, 曖昧Japanese
- ორაზროვანიGeorgian
- amphibologiceLatin
- rangiruaMāori
- нејасен, двосмисленMacedonian
- dubbelzinnig, vaag, ambigu, onduidelijkDutch
- uklar, flertydig, vag, tvetydigNorwegian
- wieloznaczny, dwuznacznyPolish
- vago, indefinido, impreciso, ambíguo, dúbioPortuguese
- cu multe sensuri, ambiguuRomanian
- двусмысленныйRussian
- dvosmislen, nejasan, višeznačanSerbo-Croatian
- i dykuptueshëmAlbanian
- tvetydig, dubbeltydig, osäker, svävande, dunkel, vagSwedish
- คลุมเครือThai
- malaboTagalog
- belirsizTurkish
- مبہمUrdu
- 模糊的Chinese
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