amble

verb

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am·ble | \ ˈam-bəl

ambled; ambling\ ˈam-b(ə-)liŋ

Definition of amble

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to go at or as if at an easy gait : saunter spent the day ambling through the park

amble

noun

Definition of amble (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : an easy gait of a horse in which the legs on the same side of the body move together

b : rack entry 5 sense b

2 : an easy gait

3 : a leisurely walk took a casual amble through the gardens

Other Words from amble Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about amble

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Examples of amble in a Sentence

Verb We ambled along as we talked. They ambled down the road. Noun we had a lovely amble about the quaint village before continuing our drive

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Candles, cut-paper banners (papel picado), and cartonería skeletons decorate two-story-tall ofrendas in the capital’s 600,000-plus-square foot center as locals and tourists in spooky masks amble by. — Jennifer Barger, National Geographic, "These paper crafts bring the party on Day of the Dead," 19 Oct. 2020 From the parking area, walk back down the road to Ridge Trail, turning right to amble uphill. — Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, "5 of the best fall hikes in Arizona: Here's how to explore these less crowded trails," 14 Oct. 2020 And the long, famous ones like the Greenwich Steps that amble up Telegraph Hill through lush, bohemian gardens to Coit Tower. — Heather Knight, SFChronicle.com, "Climbing S.F.’s beloved staircases with a guide who’s vowed to conquer them all," 22 Sep. 2020 Rescue dogs amble around the living room, and once-stray cats lounge atop her childhood bed. — Kevin Canfield, Star Tribune, "Review: 'The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals,' by Becky Mandelbaum," 28 Aug. 2020 Strangers would amble by and leave a cookie by your elbow. — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Share you most cherished memories of UCSD’s Geisel Library with the Union-Tribune," 24 Aug. 2020 Come here to amble around its galleries, or hike around the 14 miles of trails quilting its eastern tip in Whitefish Dunes. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "20 Best Weekend Getaway Ideas in the U.S.," 18 June 2020 As for now, the zoo reopens June 10 and visitors can amble over the meerkat habitat to watch the tree trunk feed in action in the mid-morning. — Sarah Haselhorst, Cincinnati.com, "At the zoo, meerkats work for their dinner with the help of GE engineers and some titanium," 8 June 2020 Passengers spilled off the ship to amble the dirt roads and take pictures of the Russian Orthodox church, with its blue and white onion domes. — Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, "Onboard the ferry to the end of the world," 31 May 2016 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun On a quiet amble through the Wallace Desert Garden, a visitor can see birds atop the saguaros, pollinators on the vibrant red and yellow flowers of barrel cactuses, the clarity of the air in a place far from the city. — Erin Stone, The Arizona Republic, "Boyce Thompson Arboretum makes room for thousands of fragile desert specimens," 15 Nov. 2020 But even those of us not so anesthetized shouldn’t expect to be taking or following an easy, pleasant amble. — Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, "‘The Walker’ Review: The Art of the Stroll," 23 Oct. 2020 Skip the beach one morning for an amble through the historic capital city of St. George and discover a 300-year-old fortress with working cannons, stunning Georgian architecture, and, of course, an amazing spice market. — Paul Rubio, Condé Nast Traveler, "These 6 New Flights to the Caribbean Will Get You to the Beach in No Time," 3 Feb. 2020 But the pull of difference was matched with a sense, at least as strong, that the border didn’t so much divide two nations as amble over a contiguous region. — Joshua Jelly-schapiro, The New Yorker, "What Are Borders For?," 27 Nov. 2019 But a cockroach’s amble relies on more central control. — Scientific American, "Nanomachines, Jellyfish Hugs and Hurricane Dorian From Space: The Week's Best Science GIFs," 30 Aug. 2019 Walk your dinner off with a lazy amble along the canal before checking into the ultra-contemporary Hotel Arok, a welcome change of pace to end your time in Alsace. — Tyler Moss, Condé Nast Traveler, "An Autumnal Road Trip Through Alsace Wine Country," 13 Aug. 2019 When the clock strikes noon, amble on over to the Crafthouse Gastropub offering craft beer from the likes of Odell Friek, Dogfish Head and Deschutes Brewery. — Mary Ann Anderson, Twin Cities, "Lubbock is smack in middle of nowhere — and everywhere," 20 July 2019 Even so, there are pleasures to be had from a book that moves at an amble—that sometimes takes a detour for no reason except to admire the view. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: A Proving Ground for Men and Storytellers," 16 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for amble

Verb

Middle English amblen "(of a horse) to go at an amble, go at an easy gait," borrowed from Anglo-French ambler, aumbler (in present participle amblant) (continental Old French anbler), going back to Latin ambulāre "to go on foot, walk, walk for pleasure or health, travel," from amb- "around, about" + -ulāre, probably going back to a verb base *al-, going back to Indo-European *h₂elh₂- "wander," whence also Umbrian amboltu "(s/he) must go around," Greek aláomai, alâsthai "to wander, roam," Latvian aluôt "to go astray" — more at ambient entry 1

Noun

Middle English ambel, in part borrowed from Middle French amble (going back to Old French, noun derivative of ambler "to amble entry 1"), in part noun derivative of amblen "to amble entry 1

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