ambiguous
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++am·big·u·ous /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/ ●●○ AWL adjective MEANINGsomething that is ambiguous is unclear, confusing, or not certain, especially because it can be understood in more than one way 模棱两可的；不明确的 OPP unambiguous The language in the Minister’s statement is highly ambiguous. 部长的声明措辞很含糊。 His role in the affair is ambiguous. 他在这起事件中的角色并不明确。 —ambiguously adverb The legislation had been ambiguously worded. 这条法律措辞含混。 RegisterIn everyday English, people also use the phrase you can take something two ways instead of saying it is ambiguous: 在日常英语中，人们也会用短语you can take sth two ways来代替ambiguous What she says is ambiguous. → You can take what she says two ways. 她的话模棱两可。Examples from the Corpus
ambiguous• Like a true oracle, Hailey's pronouncements were both authoritative and ambiguous.• Where Tudor is economical, organic and disciplined, Stevenson is fussy, distracted and ambiguous.• McClane's position in the company is ambiguous.• The last part of her letter was deliberately ambiguous.• He liked to keep the story of his life ambiguous.• In the first place, most of its key concepts are essentially ambiguous.• The results of the experiments were ambiguous and they will have to be done again.• Unfortunately the instructions were ambiguous and we didn't know which part of the program to run.• Le Touquet's identity today is a little ambiguous but it still has a nice feel about it.• She left a very ambiguous message on the answerphone last night.• The Labour Party remained in an ambiguous position.• an ambiguous question• Mitterrand had ambiguous relations with money, the power of which he regularly lambasted.• The document's ambiguous wording makes it very difficult to follow.Origin ambiguous (1500-1600) Latin ambiguus, from ambigere “to wander around”, from ambi- (AMBI-) + agere “to drive”am·big·u·ous adjective →REGISTER1ChineseSyllable
unclear, or that Corpus is is something not certain, confusing, especially ambiguous
ambiguous
am‧big‧u‧ous AC /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/
adjective
OPP unambiguous:
The language in the Minister’s statement is highly ambiguous.
His role in the affair is ambiguous.
—ambiguously adverb:
The legislation had been ambiguously worded.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people also use the phrase you can take something two ways instead of saying it is ambiguous:
▪ What she says is ambiguous. ➔ You can take what she says two ways.
am‧big‧u‧ous AC /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/
adjective Word Family: noun: ambiguity; adverb: ambiguously ≠ unambiguously; adjective: ambiguous ≠ unambiguous
Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: ambiguus, from ambigere 'to wander around', from ambi- (AMBI-) + agere 'to drive'
something that is ambiguous is unclear, confusing, or not certain, especially because it can be understood in more than one way Language: Latin
Origin: ambiguus, from ambigere 'to wander around', from ambi- (AMBI-) + agere 'to drive'
OPP unambiguous:
—ambiguously adverb:
REGISTER
In everyday English, people also use the phrase you can take something two ways instead of saying it is ambiguous:
▪ What she says is ambiguous. ➔ You can take what she says two ways.