amble

American  

[am-buhl] / ˈæm bəl /

verb (used without object)

ambled, ambling

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.

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noun

1. an ambling gait.

2. a slow, easy walk or gentle pace.

3. a stroll.

amble British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a leisurely motion in walking

2. a leisurely walk

3. the ambling gait of a horse

Other Word Forms

• ambler noun
• amblingly adverb

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)

Example Sentences

Visitors to the Holly museum would amble over those specs as they arrived and departed.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Here, bleating goats amble down the village’s main road, wide enough for a single car or the occasional horse-drawn cart.

From Seattle Times

Patch’s entry seemed to get a boost when she carefully ambled through a hoop on the runway, bringing cheers from a crowd of spectators.

From Washington Times

In a 2017 study in Innsbruck, a group of healthy and fortunate volunteers agreed to hike in the alpine mountains above town, ambling up and back for three hours.

From Washington Post

Related Words

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