ambush
/ˈæm.bʊʃ/noun, verb
ambush is spelled A-M-B-U-S-H: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 13,897th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, ambush means “The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of ambush is ambushes.
How many letters and syllables are in ambush?
| Letters | 6: A-M-B-U-S-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.5 times per million words; the 13,897th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is ambush?
Ambush appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 13,897th 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 ambush?
- US /ˈæm.bʊʃ/
Ambush has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-ambush.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of ambush
- ambushes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- ambushing participle, present
- ambushed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ambush mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.
- 2
An attack launched from a concealed position.
- 3
The concealed position or state from which a surprise attack is launched.
- 4
The troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; those who lie in wait.
- 5
A group of tigers.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy.
- 2
To attack by ambush; to waylay.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ambush in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Hinterhalt , einen Hinterhalt legen , aus dem Hinterhalt angreifen |
| Spanish | emboscada, calada, zalagarda , emboscar |
| French | embusquer , embuscade |
| Portuguese | emboscar , emboscada |
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 ambush come from?
From Middle English enbuschen, from Old French enbuscier, anbuchier (verb) (whence Middle French embusche (noun)), from Old French en- + Vulgar Latin boscus (“wood”) (whence also bouquet), from Frankish *busk (“bush”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush, heavy stick”). Compare ambuscade. The change to am- from earlier forms in en- is unexplained. More at bush.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).