ambling 1 of 2

adjective

as in plodding

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

ambling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of amble
as in strolling
to travel by foot for exercise or pleasure the couple enjoys ambling along the many footpaths that meander through the park

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ambling
Verb
The highway patrol’s video snippet ended with the man still holding the blades and ambling down an embankment to the highway while an officer pointed a gun at him. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026 According to a Facebook post shared by Real County Animal Rescue-Shelter, Gracie was still missing as of noon on June 22, and had last been seen ambling by a game camera west of Leakey. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 And his discussion of Turgenev’s The Singers, an ambling story that leads us to a singing competition in an inn, reveals a much quieter social reversal. — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 Another good ambling adventure is the Sculpture Trail, featuring works by local artists. — Amy Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2026 The question of true or false became a sensation in 1967 with the famous film shot by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in the Pacific Northwest, capturing a hairy figure ambling through a Northern California wood. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 8 May 2026 Few wallpapers can nurture a childhood love of Fauvism with so little effort, but this ambling and pastoral mural can raise your little one to appreciate the finer things in life. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026 Though there was a thrilling edge to their early work—the lightning-in-a-bottle sample drill of Polo Perks and Moh Baretta, that spine-tingling Pasto Flocco run—it’s been dulled a bit in favor of ambling minimalism. — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 6 Apr. 2026 Forget cows ambling in biodiverse pastures. — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambling
  1. plodding
  2. strolling
  3. loitering
  4. wandering
  5. lingering
  6. sauntering
  7. heavy-footed
  8. walking
Adjective
  • During the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, activists from the gay community lambasted him and his institute for the plodding pace of research on the virus.
    — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
  • The audience was still as the band started playing a plodding rhythm.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
Definition of plodding
Verb
  • There’s a nice localised touch via a railway footbridge on the approach depicting the highs of Southampton’s football history and the delights of the city centre, particularly Oxford Street, can be enjoyed before strolling on to the match.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • After virtually strolling through City in Belmira’s video model, some of its mysterious puzzle pieces do, gratifyingly, start to come together.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of strolling
Adjective
  • Some victim advocates say human trafficking along Figueroa has escalated since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rollback of anti-loitering laws.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of loitering
Verb
  • More Phillies players and staff joined them, wandering around the field and the house from the movie for the next 40 minutes.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The young mountain lion was spotted wandering along Foothill Boulevard between San Dimas Avenue and San Dimas Canyon Road in the morning, according to the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of wandering
Adjective
  • No more distractions, no more lingering questions, just a baller who loves this sport and continues to level up.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Although the treatment significantly reduced the cancer, follow-up exams showed lingering traces of the disease.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • The 39-year-old continues to defy logic with his otherworldly performances, sauntering around in opposition territory before bursting into life and inflicting maximum damage.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • The visuals of fighters warming up inside the White House and sauntering down the Truman balcony, many wrapped in the American flag, was an unusual spectacle indeed.
    — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Definition of sauntering
Adjective
  • For this Nuggets lineup, the average comes out to a pedestrian 6-9, with three capable perimeter defenders to assist the heavy-footed centers, two 40% 3-point shooters to space the floor, and a surplus of play-making talent.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Post struggled in his first go, thrown into the fire against the best team in the league that plays a style designed to punish heavy-footed centers.
    — Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2025
Definition of heavy-footed
Verb
  • For example, someone who is comfortable walking for 30 minutes could walk at their usual pace for several minutes, then pick it up for a minute or two before slowing down again.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Twins and Phillies players spent their pregame free time walking among fans, taking photos and sharing memories.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of walking

Browse Nearby Words

ambles
ambling
ambries
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambling. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ambling

Nglish: Translation of ambling for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All