Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ambages

/ˈam.bɪ.d͡ʒɪz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: am-bages
IPA: /ˈam.bɪ.d͡ʒɪz/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Indirect or roundabout ways of talking; circumlocution.

Archaic

noun

Indirect or roundabout routes or directions.

Archaic

Example Sentences

"Thus from her cell Cumæan Sibyl sings / Ambiguous ambages, the cloyster rings / With the shrill sound thereof, in most dark strains."
"Having thus briefly anatomized the body and soul of man,[…]I may now freely proceed to treat of my intended subject, to most men's capacity; and after many ambages, perspicuously define what this melancholy is[…]."
"Paris put fear into him, a city of monstrous size to which London was but a market town. Its ambages of streets bewildered."

Etymology

From Middle English ambages, from Old French ambages (modern French ambages), from Latin ambāges, from ambi- + agere (“to drive”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: ambages, ambāges

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈam.bɪ.d͡ʒɪz/

Usage

Archaic

Derived Forms

circumambages

Frequently Paired Words

ambiguous

Questions

How do you pronounce ambages?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈam.bɪ.d͡ʒɪz/.
What does ambages mean?: Indirect or roundabout ways of talking; circumlocution.
Where does ambages come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce ambages

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ambages”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈam.bɪ.d͡ʒɪz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ambages”.
Repeat and practice — Say “ambages” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.