adumbrate
/ˈædʌmˌbɹeɪt/verb
adumbrate is spelled A-D-U-M-B-R-A-T-E: 9 letters. It appears about once in every 85 million words in written English, the 293,966th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, adumbrate means “To foreshadow vaguely” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in adumbrate?
| Letters | 9: A-D-U-M-B-R-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 85 million words; the 293,966th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is adumbrate?
Adumbrate appears about once in every 85 million words in written English, the 293,966th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce adumbrate?
- /ˈædʌmˌbɹeɪt/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-adumbrate.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of adumbrate
- adumbrates present, singular, he/she/it
- adumbrating participle, present
- adumbrated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does adumbrate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To foreshadow vaguely.
- 2
To give a vague outline.
- 3
To obscure or overshadow.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Adumbrate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pressentir, supputer |
| German | umreißen |
| Portuguese | adumbrar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does adumbrate come from?
Borrowed from Latin adumbrātus (“represented in outline”), from adumbrāre (“cast a shadow on”), from umbra (“shadow”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).