ambidextrous
Syllables: am·bi·dex·trous/ˌæm.biˈdɛk.stɹəs/US/ˌæm.bɪˈdɛk.stɹəs/
ambidextrous adjective: having equal or comparable ability in both hands; in particular, able to write well with both hands.
Adjective
ambidextrous (comparative more ambidextrous, superlative most ambidextrous)
- Having equal or comparable ability in both hands; in particular, able to write well with both hands.
- Some are […]ambidextrous or right-handed on both sides; which happeneth only unto strong and athletical bodies, whose heat and spirits are able to afford an ability unto both.1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC
- Equally usable by left-handed and right-handed people (as a tool or instrument).
- Practising or siding with both parties.
- All False, Shuffling, and Ambidextrous Dealings.1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC
- Of a person, bisexual.
- Exceptionally skillful; adept in more than one medium, genre, style, etc.
- Michelangelo was a very ambidextrous artist, producing sculptures and frescoes with equal ability.
- For years, by every possible device, we have been raising the prices of our agricultural products against the foreign buyers […] by every device known to the ambidextrous tradesman and financier. The result is that we have raised up other and unexpected competitors in the markets of the world.1884, The British Trade Journal and Export World, page 558
ambidextrous meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu
ambidextrous in Hindi
- having equal ability in both hands
- सव्यसाची savyasācī
ambidextrous in Tamil
- இமுகைப் பழக்கம், இருகைவல்ல
ambidextrous in Marathi
- having equal ability in both hands
- सव्यसाची savyasācī
ambidextrous in Urdu
- دو ہتھا, دغاباز, چالاک
More languagesFewer languages
- ambidextrous in Bengali
- সব্যসাচী śobbośaci
- ambidextrous in Odia
- ସବ୍ୟସାଚୀ sabyasāci
- ambidextrous in Sanskrit
- सव्यसाची savyasācī
- ambidextrous in Nepali
- सव्यसाची savyasācī
- ambidextrous in Arabic
- أَضْبَط ʔaḍbaṭ
- ambidextrous in Malay
- dwicekat
- ambidextrous in Indonesian
- ambidekstrus
Synonyms of ambidextrous
Antonyms
Forms of ambidextrous
| comparative | more ambidextrous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most ambidextrous |
Origin of ambidextrous
From Medieval Latin ambidexter + -ous, the former from ambi- (“both”) + dexter (“right”), thus literally “both hands being like a right hand”. By surface analysis, ambi- (“both”) + dextrous (“skillful; agile”). The Latin word is first attested in the Vetus Latina, calquing Ancient Greek ἀμφοτεροδέξιος (amphoterodéxios) in Judges 3:15 after the Septuagint, itself translating Hebrew אִטֵּר יַד יְמִינוֹ (iṭṭēr yaḏ yəmīnō, literally “bound in his right hand”). This phrase is now generally translated as “left-handed”; the Septuagint translation is either from a variant reading or from a different interpretation.
Words formed from ambidextrous
Words that rhyme with ambidextrous
Questions about ambidextrous
- What does ambidextrous mean?
- Ambidextrous means having equal or comparable ability in both hands; in particular, able to write well with both hands.
- What is ambidextrous in Hindi?
- Ambidextrous in Hindi is सव्यसाची (savyasācī). See Ambidextrous meaning in Hindi.
- What part of speech is ambidextrous?
- Ambidextrous is an adjective.
- How do you pronounce ambidextrous?
- Ambidextrous is pronounced /ˌæm.biˈdɛk.stɹəs/ (UK).
Words near ambidextrous in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: ambidextrous (page history and authors); ambidextrous (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); ambidextrous (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-ambidextrous.wav.
Cite this entry: “ambidextrous.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/ambidextrous. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.