ambient
Americanadjective
-
of the surrounding area or environment: The temperature in the display case was 20° lower than the ambient temperature.
Your voice mail picked up some ambient noise from airplanes and lawn mowers.
The temperature in the display case was 20° lower than the ambient temperature.
-
completely surrounding; enveloping.
Many pollutants are present in ambient air in relatively low concentrations.
-
creating a certain reaction or mood, often a subconscious one, by being wherever people tend to be.
ambient advertising on a shopping cart.
-
pertaining to or noting sounds that create a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.
I stream ambient ocean sounds to help me fall asleep.
-
pertaining to or noting close and constant social contact and communication fostered by the internet or the use of digital devices.
social media sites that enable ambient intimacy and awareness.
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to the immediate surroundings
the ambient temperature was 15°C
-
creating a relaxing atmosphere
ambient music
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ambient
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin ambient- (stem of ambiēns, present participle of ambīre “to go around”), equivalent to amb- ambi- + -i- “go” + -ent- -ent
Explanation
Ambient is an adjective used to describe an aspect of the environment that completely surrounds you, but in a mellow way, like ambient music played softly throughout a restaurant, or the ambient orange glow during a setting sun. Ambient describes some pervasive quality of the surrounding environment, like the ambient lighting in a movie theater, or the ambient temperature of a room. Most times when you’re hearing silence, you’re hearing some ambient noises too, like the hum of a refrigerator or the whistle of a breeze. Usually ambient describes a quiet or peaceful quality, but it can be aggressive too, like the ambient drone of war planes flying above that you can hear no matter where you hide.
Vocabulary lists containing ambient
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Around and Around: Ambi
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 27–April 2, 2021
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
"The fact that we can boil water under ambient conditions is a big achievement."
From Science Daily • May 15, 2026
"We are working on basically adapting our public realm to do a couple of things to help to reduce ambient temperatures," Kit Larson, chief executive of the organization Houston Downtown+, told AFP.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
This description echoes through the film in its regard for plants, which here seem to possess a sort of ambient awareness.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
I know the class is coming to an end as ambient noiserock leads us into corpse pose.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
In general, the microbiology experiments were not carried out at the low ambient Martian temperatures, and most did not provide long incubation times.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
