ambience

9 synonyms for ambience, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The mood or atmosphere of a place, created by things such as lighting, sound, decor and the people in it.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

atmosphere mood feel

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

vibe aura

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

ambiance room tone atmos background sound

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The mood or atmosphere of a place, created by things such as lighting, sound, decor and the people in it.

“The candlelight gave the restaurant a warm ambience.”

atmosphere mood feel vibe aura ambiance

2. noun technical

In sound recording, the background sound naturally present in a space, captured to give a recording a sense of place.

“The engineer added a little room ambience to the vocal track.”

room tone atmos background sound

How to use ambience

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

warm ambience relaxed ambience create an ambience ambience of the room

Neutral and common in reviews, hospitality and interior design writing.

Etymology

From French ambiance, from ambiant 'surrounding', ultimately from Latin ambire 'to go around'.

Full origin of ambience →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ambience and ambiance?

They are the same word with two spellings. 'Ambience' is the anglicised form and the more common spelling in general English, while 'ambiance' keeps the French form and is often chosen in writing about design, restaurants and art.

What is the difference between ambience and atmosphere?

They overlap almost completely when describing a place's feel. 'Atmosphere' is the broader word and can also describe the air around a planet or the emotional tension of an event, whereas 'ambience' is nearly always about the designed feel of a physical space.

Is ambience countable?

Usually not. You normally say 'the ambience' or 'a relaxed ambience' in the singular; 'ambiences' is rare and sounds awkward outside technical sound work.

People also searched

feel atmosphere mood vibe aura ambiance

Nearby words

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