dungeon

/ˈdʌndʒən/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdʌndʒən/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdən-jən/ (ame, mw)

dungeon — noun

  • dungeonsingular
  • dungeonsplural

1. a room built below ground level, usually under a castle, where prisoners were lo

1.名詞B1
釋義

a room built below ground level, usually under a castle, where prisoners were locked up in the past

例句

The castle guide warned visitors about the cold, damp dungeon below the great hall.

describing atmosphere: cold + damp collocation

During the tour, the archaeologists discovered a hidden dungeon beneath the chapel floor.

location: beneath + noun phrase

同義詞
  • prison cell

    a more general term for any lockable room where prisoners are held; dungeon is specifically underground and historical

  • vault

    an underground storage room, not necessarily for prisoners

  • oubliette

    a secret dungeon accessible only through a trapdoor in the ceiling; much rarer and more specific

  • dungeon cell

    a single cell within a dungeon; the two terms are close in meaning

反義詞
  • palace

    a grand residence, opposite in function and atmosphere

  • sanctuary

    a place of safety and refuge

用法筆記

In fantasy role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, the word 'dungeon' refers to any underground area filled with traps, puzzles, and monsters — not necessarily a prison. This has given rise to compounds like 'dungeon crawl' (an adventure through such a space) and 'dungeon master' (the person who designs and narrates the adventure).

常見錯誤

❌The thief was sent to a modern dungeon.
✅The thief was sent to a modern prison.
💡Modern correctional facilities are called 'prisons' or 'jails,' not 'dungeons.'
❌The castle's dungeon was above ground in the main tower.
✅The castle's dungeon was underground, below the main hall.
💡A dungeon is specifically below ground level.

2. the largest and strongest tower inside a medieval castle, used as a residence fo

2.名詞C2
釋義

the largest and strongest tower inside a medieval castle, used as a residence for the lord and as a final defensive position during an attack

例句

The fortress's central dungeon served as both a home and a final refuge during attacks.

served as: describing the function of a structure

Caleb studied the stonework of the old dungeon tower and its narrow arrow slits.

同義詞
  • keep

    the most common modern word for the main tower of a castle; 'dungeon' in this sense is a synonym but much rarer

  • donjon

    the French-derived spelling of the same word, preferred by historians to avoid confusion

  • citadel

    a fortress overlooking a city; broader in scope than a single tower

  • stronghold

    any fortified place; less specific than dungeon/keep

用法筆記

This sense is very rare in modern everyday English. Historians and medieval-architecture specialists often use the French-derived spelling 'donjon' (pronounced /ˈdɒndʒən/ or /ˈdʌndʒən/) to distinguish this tower sense from the more common 'underground prison' meaning. In historical texts, the 'dungeon' (or donjon) was the innermost stronghold — the last place of defence when the outer walls of the castle were breached.

常見錯誤

❌The lord lived in a cold, damp dungeon.
✅The lord lived in the castle's dungeon
💡its main tower — which was spacious and well-fortified.' — Readers will assume the underground prison sense; use 'donjon' or 'keep' for clarity.
❌The dungeon tower was below ground.
✅The dungeon tower rose above the castle walls.
💡The tower sense refers to a tall structure, not an underground room.