hall
- 01 A2 Elementary
a passage in a building that leads to other rooms.
a corridor or hallway providing access to various rooms within a building.
Simple“I left my umbrella in the hall by the front door.”
In context“The apartment features a long, narrow hall that connects the living area to the bedrooms at the rear of the property.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
a large room used for meetings, concerts, or public events.
a large public or communal building or room used for meetings, social events, or performances.
Simple“The town hall was packed with people waiting for the mayor to speak.”
In context“The local community hall serves as a versatile space for everything from morning yoga classes to evening political debates.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
a building at a university where students live.
a university building providing residential accommodation for students; often used in the plural 'halls of residence'.
Simple“Most first-year students choose to live in a hall on campus.”
In context“Living in university halls provides students with a structured social environment during their transition to independent academic life.”
UsageOften used in the plural form 'halls' or the phrase 'halls of residence'.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
a large, important house in the countryside, often with a long history.
a large country house or manor, historically the centre of a landed estate.
Simple“We spent the afternoon touring an old hall built in the seventeenth century.”
In context“The ancestral hall stood at the end of a long lime-tree avenue, its grey stone walls reflecting centuries of architectural additions.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
a large room in a college or school where people eat their meals together.
a large dining room in a school, college, or university, or the formal meal served there.
Simple“The students gathered in the hall for lunch at twelve o'clock.”
In context“Formal hall is held every Thursday evening, requiring students to wear academic gowns while dining at the long oak tables.”
Synonyms - 06 B1 Intermediate
the main room in a house where people sit and relax.
the principal room of a private house used for relaxing and entertaining guests.
Simple“We sat in the hall and watched the news together after dinner.”
In context“The family gathered in the hall, which was the largest and most comfortably furnished room in the bungalow.”
Teacher's tipCommonly used in Indian English to refer to what British or American speakers call the living room.
Synonyms
* As an English, Scottish, Irish, German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish surname: all from the noun hall. The name was likely reinforced by similar sounding words such as Swedish häll (“rock slab”). * As a Chinese surname, variant Romanization of 何, 賀 /贺 (hè), see He. ** (locomotive): The locomotives were named after English and Welsh country houses with 'Hall' in their titles. ** (British and Scandinavian surnames): From the buildings, halls
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.