ambient
ambient — adjective
1. present in the space around a person, object, or place — used especially of cond
present in the space around a person, object, or place — used especially of conditions like temperature, light, sound, or smell that fill the whole area rather than coming from one source.
The thermostat in Wren's lab keeps the ambient temperature at exactly 21 degrees.
ambient + temperature (typical collocation)
Soft ambient lighting from the wall lamps made the small bookshop feel cosy at night.
ambient + lighting / light (typical collocation)
Engineers use thick foam panels to absorb ambient noise inside the recording studio.
The new sensor on Hadiya's watch tracks ambient air quality during his morning run.
These cheeses can be stored at ambient temperature for up to two weeks.
- surrounding
more general and everyday; works in non-technical contexts too
- encompassing
formal; emphasises completely covering or wrapping around
- background
stresses being behind or below the main focus, especially of sound
- localised
coming from one specific point rather than filling the whole area
- directional
pointed at a target, not spread evenly through the surroundings
文法句型
ambient + noun
用法筆記
Almost always attributive (used directly before a noun) — you say 'ambient noise' but rarely 'the noise was ambient.' Subject nouns are usually physical conditions: temperature, light, sound, pressure, humidity, smell.
常見錯誤
2. describing a style of music designed to build a calm, dreamy atmosphere in the b
describing a style of music designed to build a calm, dreamy atmosphere in the background — usually slow, with soft electronic textures and few or no clear drum beats.
Yael put on an ambient album while she painted in the studio late at night.
ambient + album / music (typical collocation)
The yoga teacher played soft ambient music to help the class slow their breathing.
ambient music for relaxation contexts
Brian Eno is often called the father of ambient music in the late 1970s.
The cafe near the station plays ambient sounds of rain and distant thunder all day.
- atmospheric
broader; any music or sound that creates a strong mood, not only the electronic genre
- chillout
informal; covers a wider range of relaxed dance and pop styles
- new-age
overlapping genre with more acoustic instruments and spiritual themes
- upbeat
fast and energetic — the opposite mood from ambient
文法句型
ambient + music / sound / track
用法筆記
Names a genre, so it nearly always sits before a music-related noun: music, album, track, artist, sound. Distinguish from sense 1 by context — sense 2 is about a deliberately created mood, not a measured physical condition.