Amble

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæm.bəl/

Definitions

1. To walk in a slow and easy manner, often reflecting a sense of relaxation and enjoyment of the environment
2. To move along at a gentle, unhurried pace, often with a relaxed or leisurely attitude
3. To stroll or wander without haste, taking time to enjoy surroundings without urgency

Etymology: The most striking thing about "amble" is that it was once a specialised term for a horse's gait rather than a human stroll. In Old French, "ambler" meant "walk as a horse does," describing a smooth, easy pace in which the animal moves both legs on one side together, and the sense of a relaxed, unhurried walk for people came later, carried over from that equine usage. The word's deeper ancestry lies in Latin "ambulō," meaning simply "to walk." It passed through Old Occitan "amblar," the language of southern France, before reaching Old French and then Middle English as "amblen." Along the way, the word lost its strict connection to horses and gained a gentler, more leisurely character. English also kept a twin of this word. "Ambulate," a more formal term for walking, comes from the same Latin source, so the two are doublets: one arrived through the everyday French route and the other was borrowed later, directly from Latin.

Synonyms: stroll, walk, saunter, drift, meander

Antonyms: run, sprint, dash, hurry, race