amble
Americanverb (used without object)
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ambles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ambled,
past participle, past
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ambling
present participle
noun
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ambles
plural
-
an ambling gait.
-
a slow, easy walk or gentle pace.
-
a stroll.
verb
-
to walk at a leisurely relaxed pace
-
(of a horse) to move slowly, lifting both legs on one side together
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to ride a horse at an amble or leisurely pace
noun
-
a leisurely motion in walking
-
a leisurely walk
-
the ambling gait of a horse
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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amblesimple
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amblessimple
-
have ambledperfect
-
has ambledperfect
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am amblingprogressive
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are amblingprogressive
-
is amblingprogressive
-
have been amblingperfect progressive
-
has been amblingperfect progressive
Past
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ambledsimple
-
had ambledperfect
-
was amblingprogressive
-
were amblingprogressive
-
had been amblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of amble
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)
Explanation
To amble is to take a leisurely, pleasurable walk. Care to amble down a pleasant country road instead of reading the rest of this word description? That would certainly be understandable. Amble is both a noun meaning "a stroll" and a verb meaning "to walk in a slow, leisurely way." You might amble (or take an amble) over to the snack table and grab a brownie. Amble comes from the Latin ambulare, which means "to walk about," as in ambulatory. Weirdly enough, it was once only used for horses or those on horseback. We use it for people now, but it still retains some of its horse-like, country feel.
Vocabulary lists containing amble
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Walk the Walk: Amb
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Hot to Trot: Animal Ambulation
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Their split-second choice to amble over to the former consolidated the prediction that Mexico will emerge as the winner of the highly anticipated match on June 11.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026
And unlike our smart speakers or other stationary robots and sensors, the Familiar will be able to amble about our homes, watching us all the time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Civilian gawkers amble up the road, snapping photos with the accumulating floral tributes.
From Slate ● Feb. 23, 2026
Described as a thriving neighbourhood, Canton was rated for its selection of shops and cafes "which are well worth the amble out of town".
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2025
A few Elders amble toward the dance floor in front of the stage.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
And when Mitch leaves the building and ambles out into the New York City streets, it looks as though their number won’t happen.
From Salon ● Feb. 5, 2026
In automatic mode, the car ambles down the boulevard, murmuring, simmering and keeping its immensity hidden from polite society.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
The Italian instruction record that plays in the background as Tom ambles about his host’s art-filled villa mirrors his ambition: “How much money do you need?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
They don’t even fear the rare occasion when a polar bear ambles past the yards.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 11, 2023
She ambles back, shoves at me, dashes past.
From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate
Matt James, the leading man on Season 25 of “The Bachelor,” ambled around with his mother in a T-shirt that read, “Raw Milk Club.”
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
As I ambled past groups doing yoga and vacationing families lounging on the grass, pain started to radiate through my ankles and up my shinbones before settling uncomfortably in my hips.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
The beloved children's character ambled into the world in 1926 in a book written by English author A.A.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
At the beer garden in Queens, Arnold Kim, 64 and still recovering from a recent hip replacement, ambled from his nearby apartment to witness the youthful celebration first hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025
It flew to the bookcase, ambled across the booktops, pecked at pages.
From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli
Their odd shape, combined with their ambling demeanor, inspires curiosity, as well as a lot of plush stuffed animals.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
He was known for regularly ambling by and commandeering these tour groups to show off whatever latest project he had going or demonstrate the precise and persnickety method he’d perfected for planting a tree.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
American tourists ambling in St Peter's Square on the day after the election were more restrained, and a bit frazzled by the news that the new Pope is from the US.
From BBC ● May 9, 2025
After finally getting out of the car, he went inside a school building for a few minutes before ambling across the street to the historic church.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2024
Then he said, “It shall be done, master,” and turned his ambling palfrey against the stream of newcomers.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
