# ferry

/ˈfɛɹi/ (US) · /fˈɛɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ferry
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a transport ship

noun · CEFR A2

a large boat that carries people, cars, and goods across a river or a small piece of sea.

For teachers: a vessel specifically designed for the regular conveyance of passengers and vehicles across a body of water.

- We took the ferry from the mainland to the island for our summer holiday.
- The cross-channel ferry operates on a strict hourly schedule, accommodating hundreds of commuters and heavy freight vehicles daily.

### 2. a transport service

noun · CEFR B2

the business or service that provides transport across water.

For teachers: the commercial service or legal franchise involved in operating waterborne transport.

- The local ferry was cancelled today because of the stormy weather.
- The city council is reviewing the contract for the river ferry to ensure the service remains affordable for residents.

### 3. to transport

verb · CEFR B1

to carry people or things from one place to another, often making several trips.

For teachers: to transport people or goods, typically over a short distance and often repeatedly. Transitive in most modern contexts.

- The bus will ferry guests from the hotel to the wedding venue all afternoon.
- During the music festival, a fleet of small boats was hired to ferry attendees across the lake to the main stage area.

## Examples

- We take the ferry to the island every summer.
- The morning ferry was delayed by twenty minutes due to the thick fog in the harbor.
- Commuters rely on the high-speed ferry to bypass the congested bridge traffic, significantly reducing their daily travel time between the suburbs and the city center.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.