lounge
/laʊndʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /laʊndʒ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlau̇nj/ (ame, mw)
lounge — noun
- loungesingular
- loungesplural
1. A public area inside a building such as an airport, a hotel, or a theatre where
A public area inside a building such as an airport, a hotel, or a theatre where chairs and sofas are provided for people to sit, rest, or wait.
Constanza waited in the airport lounge when her flight was delayed.
collocation: airport lounge
Free tea and biscuits are served in the hotel lounge every afternoon.
collocation: hotel lounge
The theatre lounge filled with people during the interval between acts.
Staff at the clinic use the small lounge on the ground floor for their breaks.
Faisal found a quiet corner in the departure lounge and read his novel.
- waiting room
A more general term for any room where people wait; lounge suggests more comfortable seating and a relaxed atmosphere.
- departure lounge
Specific to airports — a lounge where passengers wait before boarding a flight.
用法筆記
Often used in compound nouns that name the type of building or facility, for example departure lounge, staff lounge, or VIP lounge.
2. The main area of a home where family members sit comfortably, talk, watch televi
The main area of a home where family members sit comfortably, talk, watch television, and spend time together.
The children watched cartoons in the lounge after finishing their homework.
article + lounge: 'the lounge' as a specific room in the home
Élise chose a soft grey carpet for the lounge to match the new sofa.
Their lounge gets plenty of sunlight through the large glass doors.
The whole family gathered in the lounge to open presents on Christmas morning.
Lara keeps her lounge tidy because she enjoys having friends over for tea.
- living room
The common American English term; also used in British English, though lounge is more frequent for everyday use.
- sitting room
A more formal British English term, often used in older houses or in more traditional contexts.
- family room
An American English term for a more casual, less formal living space, often with a television.
用法筆記
This sense is the standard term in British English. American English usually uses living room for the same space, though lounge is widely understood.
常見錯誤
3. A long, soft seat with a back and armrests, designed for two or more people to s
A long, soft seat with a back and armrests, designed for two or more people to sit or lie down on.
Vikram lay down on the lounge and fell asleep within minutes.
The blue velvet lounge belonged to Asher's grandmother for over forty years.
lounge as an heirloom or older piece of furniture
Pedro ordered a large lounge that can seat five people side by side.
A worn leather lounge sat against the wall of the old study.
Quan stretched out on the lounge and read his book in the afternoon sun.
- sofa
The most common term across all varieties of English; lounge sounds slightly old-fashioned or formal by comparison.
- couch
Common in American English and informal British English; often implies a softer, less formal piece of furniture than sofa.
- settee
A chiefly British term, considered old-fashioned or formal; usually smaller and more delicate than a lounge.
用法筆記
Less frequent in everyday conversation than sofa or couch. More commonly found in furniture catalogues, descriptions of antique pieces, or in British English when referring to a specific type of upholstered seat.
lounge — verb
- loungepresent simple I / you / we / they
- lounges3rd person singular
- lounging-ing form
- loungedpast simple
1. To stand, sit, or lie in a relaxed, unhurried way, without any particular purpos
To stand, sit, or lie in a relaxed, unhurried way, without any particular purpose or effort.
Ishaan lounged by the hotel pool with a cool drink in his hand.
lounge + by [location]
Some students lounged on the grass outside the library between classes.
lounge + on [surface]
The cat lounged on the warm windowsill, half asleep in the sun.
Instead of working, Mauricio lounged on the sofa and scrolled through his phone.
Groups of friends lounged at the cafe tables, chatting and laughing in the evening light.
- laze about
Very similar in meaning and register, but laze emphasises doing nothing at all, while lounge can include gentle movement.
- loaf
Slightly more negative in tone; loaf suggests wasting time that should be spent working.
- recline
More formal and specific to a lying-back posture; lounge can describe sitting, standing, or lying.
文法句型
lounge + preposition/adverb (about, around, by, on)
用法筆記
Frequently paired with adverbs or prepositional phrases such as about, around, by the pool, on the sofa, or in the garden. The subject is typically a person or an animal at rest.
常見錯誤
2. To spend a period of time in a lazy, relaxed way, without doing anything active
To spend a period of time in a lazy, relaxed way, without doing anything active or useful.
Zola and Camille lounged the whole morning away, chatting and drinking tea on the balcony.
lounge + time expression + away
Mert lounged the afternoon away in a hammock behind the garden shed.
lounge + the afternoon away
Dewi and her cousin lounged the rainy weekend away watching old films.
Hyun lounged the entire day away instead of working on his project.
The retired couple lounged the warm months away on their porch in the mountains.
- while away
Very close in meaning, but while away is neutral in tone, whereas lounge away carries a clearer sense of laziness.
- idle away
Similar meaning; idle away is more common and less specific to physical posture.
- use productively
The direct opposite in terms of how the time is spent.
文法句型
lounge + time expression + away
用法筆記
The object is always a time expression such as the morning, the afternoon, the day, the weekend, or the months. The adverb away is required to complete the phrasal pattern — without it, the verb becomes intransitive and shifts to sense 1.