Standard Lemma guide

ambidextrous

adj · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌæm.biˈdɛk.stɹəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˌæm.bɪˈdɛk.stɹəs/
  • rhymes with -ɛkstɹəs
  • CMU ARPABET: AE2 M B AH0 D EH1 K S T R AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: AE2 M B IH0 D EH1 K S T R AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having equal or comparable ability in both hands; in particular, able to write well with both hands.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Equally usable by left-handed and right-handed people (as a tool or instrument).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Practising or siding with both parties.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of a person, bisexual.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Exceptionally skillful; adept in more than one medium, genre, style, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Michelangelo was a very ambidextrous artist, producing sculptures and frescoes with equal ability.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

equally skillful with each hand

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an ambidextrous surgeon

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: two-handed

Antonyms: right-handed, left-handed

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another- Israel Zangwill- W.M.Thackeray

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she was a deceitful scheming little thing
  • a double-dealing double agent
  • a double-faced infernal traitor and schemer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deceitful, double-dealing, duplicitous, Janus-faced, two-faced, double-faced, double-tongued

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَضْبَط (ʔaḍbaṭ) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Aramaic: ܓܘܼܪܕ݁ܡܵܢܵܐ (gurdəmānā) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Bengali: সব্যসাচী (śobbośaci) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Catalan: ambidextre — having equal ability in both hands
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雙手靈巧的 /双手灵巧的 (shuāngshǒu língqiǎo de) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Danish: ambidekstral — having equal ability in both hands
  • Dutch: tweehandig — having equal ability in both hands
  • Esperanto: ambaŭmana — having equal ability in both hands
  • Estonian: mõlemakäelisus — having equal ability in both hands
  • Finnish: molempikätinen — having equal ability in both hands
  • French: ambidextre — having equal ability in both hands
  • German: beidhändig — having equal ability in both hands
  • Greek: αμφιδέξιος (amfidéxios) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Hindi: सव्यसाची (savyasācī) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Hungarian: kétkezes — having equal ability in both hands
  • Ido: ambidextra — having equal ability in both hands
  • Indonesian: ambidekstrus — having equal ability in both hands
  • Irish: comhdheas — having equal ability in both hands
  • Italian: ambidestro — having equal ability in both hands
  • Japanese: 両手利きの (ryōtekiki no) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Korean: 양손잡이의 (yangsonjabi-ui) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Central Kurdish: چەپ وڕاستە (çep wrraste) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Malay: dwicekat — having equal ability in both hands
  • Manx: co-yesh — having equal ability in both hands
  • Manx: co-yesh er dagh laue — having equal ability in both hands
  • Māori: raparingarua — having equal ability in both hands
  • Marathi: सव्यसाची (savyasācī) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Nepali: सव्यसाची (savyasācī) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Odia: ସବ୍ୟସାଚୀ (sabyasāci) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Polish: oburęczny — having equal ability in both hands
  • Portuguese: ambidestro — having equal ability in both hands
  • Romanian: ambidextru — having equal ability in both hands
  • Russian: владе́ющий одина́ково хорошо́ обе́ими рука́ми (vladéjuščij odinákovo xorošó obéimi rukámi) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Sanskrit: सव्यसाची (savyasācī) — having equal ability in both hands
  • Spanish: ambidextro — having equal ability in both hands
  • Spanish: ambidiestro — having equal ability in both hands
  • Spanish: maniego — having equal ability in both hands
  • Swedish: dubbelhänt — having equal ability in both hands
  • Swedish: ambidexter — having equal ability in both hands
  • Swedish: ambidextriös — having equal ability in both hands
  • Swedish: tvehänt — having equal ability in both hands
  • Swedish: bådhänt — having equal ability in both hands
  • Welsh: deuddeheuig — having equal ability in both hands
Real reading context

ambidextrous in complete knowledge articles