amble

[ am-buhl ]

verb (used without object)

, am·bled, am·bling.

1. to go at a slow, easy pace; stroll; saunter:

   He ambled around the town.

   Synonyms: meander, ramble

2. (of a horse) to go at a slow pace with the legs moving in lateral pairs and usually having a four-beat rhythm.

noun

1. an ambling gait.
2. a slow, easy walk or gentle pace.
3. a stroll.

amble

/ ˈæmbəl /

verb

1. to walk at a leisurely relaxed pace
2. (of a horse) to move slowly, lifting both legs on one side together
3. to ride a horse at an amble or leisurely pace

noun

1. a leisurely motion in walking
2. a leisurely walk
3. the ambling gait of a horse

Derived Forms

• ˈambler, noun

Other Words From

• ambler noun
• ambling·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of amble¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French ambler < Latin ambulāre to walk, equivalent to amb- ambi- + -ulāre to step ( *-el- + stem vowel -ā-; cognate with Welsh el- may go, Greek elaúnein to set in motion)

Word History and Origins

Origin of amble¹

C14: from Old French ambler, from Latin ambulāre to walk

Example Sentences

As you amble past the rocky shores, you’ll glimpse seabirds, crabs, lobsters and seals.

From Los Angeles Times

Just ask residents and city officials in Sierra Madre, who in the last few years have seen their furry, four-legged neighbors amble out of the forest and barge into their cars, kitchens and living rooms as though the humans were just keeping the place warm for them.

From Los Angeles Times

"It doesn’t have to be walking, it can be a bike ride, a run, but it could just be an amble around your local area," she said.

From BBC

I wrap the jade sash around my waist as we amble toward Samarkand.

From Literature

“For me, I guess I’d say my default position is to be relaxed. Having a shower, going for an amble —an amble, not a walk — to the local shops, you free the rational mind and you go into a free-association state. You surrender the intellect to intuition.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drift
• loiter
• meander
• mosey
• ramble
• sashay
• saunter
• stroll
• toddle
• wander