Having more than one possible meaning or significance, leading to uncertainty or vagueness.
After Lisa read the message, her feelings were ambiguous. The words were unclear and left her unsure what to think. She wanted answers but everything seemed confusing and doubtful. Because the meaning was so hard to see, she was not sure what to do next.
She stared at the note, its meaning so ambiguous. Was he leaving for good, or just going for a walk? The scrawled words offered no comfort, only a knot of worry in her stomach, a heavy, uncertain feeling.
Sarah stared at the text message from her ex, its meaning ambiguous and leaving her confused. Was he reaching out as a friend or hoping to restart their relationship? The vague words could mean anything, and she felt unsure how to respond.
When Max read the note on his fridge that said, “Don’t forget the thing,” he stared at it for five minutes. The meaning was so ambiguous, he didn’t know if he should walk the dog, water the plant, or maybe even marry the toaster.
My cat's meow was really ambiguous. Was he hungry, bored, or plotting world domination with his fluffy tail? It was doubtful and uncertain, like trying to read a blurry sign during a sneeze. I just gave him a treat.
The instructions given by the teacher were ambiguous, leaving the students unsure of what exactly they were supposed to do for the assignment. They struggled to decipher the vague wording and unclear expectations.
The note she left was intentionally ambiguous, stirring confusion in his mind. The words danced on the page, teasing him with their uncertain meaning. He couldn't pin down her true intent, leaving him suspended in a realm of doubt.
The shadows in the abandoned house were ambiguous, shifting and twisting in the dim light. Sarah couldn't shake the feeling of unease as she made her way through the creaking halls, the sense of something watching her from the darkness. Every noise seemed to echo ominously, every corner hiding potential danger. The air was thick with the scent of decay, adding to the oppressive atmosphere. It was impossible to tell what lurked in the murky corners, the shapes and sounds blending together into a nightmarish blur of uncertainty. Sarah's heart raced as she realized she may never escape the ambiguous horrors within.
In the murky depths, an enigmatic figure lurked. Its form, ambiguous in the flickering light, shifted and distorted, leaving me uncertain of its true nature. Was it a friend or a foe? A savior or a predator? The uncertainty gnawed at my mind, amplifying the creeping dread that enveloped me.
In the mystical forest, the ancient wizard gazed at the swirling mist with an ambiguous expression on his weathered face. Was it a sign of impending danger or a message from the spirits of the forest? The creatures of the woods watched in silence, unsure of what to make of the wizard's cryptic reaction. As the mist slowly dissipated, revealing a hidden path leading deeper into the heart of the forest, the wizard's intentions remained ambiguous. Only time would tell if his actions were guided by benevolence or a darker, more sinister purpose.
The message he left was so ambiguous that she could not tell if he was leaving because he was angry or because he just needed time alone. The uncertainty felt heavy. She replayed his words, hoping for clarity, but everything remained doubtful and obscure in her mind.
The instructions from the supervisor were ambiguous. We weren't sure if we were supposed to start the project immediately or wait for further guidance. The uncertainty made everyone anxious, their faces clouded with doubt as they exchanged questioning glances.
His testimony wavered, with ambiguous details that made the detective skeptical. The witness's shifty eyes and halting speech suggested he was hiding something, but the specifics remained unclear, leaving more questions than answers about what truly happened that night.
When Grandpa described his secret chili recipe, his instructions were so ambiguous that nobody could tell if “add plenty of heat” referred to chili peppers, turning up the stove, or wearing a sweater. The family dinner ended up with fire extinguishers, sweatbands, and a surprising lack of actual chili.
The cryptic note, scrawled on a napkin with what appeared to be ketchup, was incredibly ambiguous. It contained only three words: "Beware the badger." My immediate thought was, "Which badger?" The sheer obscurity of the message left me uncertain, and frankly, a little bewildered by the potential for a ketchup-fueled badger confrontation.
When Julia asked if he cared about her, his answer was ambiguous, his voice barely audible and his eyes fixed on the floor. The uncertainty and obscurity in his reply left her feeling vulnerable, unsure whether she should hope for affection or prepare for disappointment.
The old map's markings were so faint, the precise location of the buried treasure remained entirely ambiguous. We squinted, tracing phantom lines, the uncertainty gnawing at our resolve, the very idea of riches now a murky prospect.
The detective stared at the blurry surveillance photo, his brow furrowed. The suspect's silhouette was ambiguous, blending into the shadowy street corner. Something felt off, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was missing from the image that made him uneasy.
When Penelope received an ambiguous invitation scribbled in glitter pen—“Dress for the event”—she enacted a state of existential panic, vacillating wildly between ball gown and diving suit. The exact nature of the event was so shrouded in obscurity that her dog was drafted as her sartorial consultant.
The instructions for assembling the IKEA bookshelf were so ambiguous, I ended up with a structure that was more abstract art than furniture. Was this supposed to be a shelf, a cat condo, or perhaps an existential crisis rendered in particleboard? The indecipherable diagrams left me profoundly doubtful and uncertain.
Basic — Common words most learners already know.