Word
journey
Phoneticsjour·ney, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdʒɝni/
UK/dʒˈɜːni/
Definitions
01travelling to a place
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. the act of travelling from one place to another, especially when it takes a long time.
n. an act of travelling from one point to another, typically implying a significant distance or duration.
“The journey from London to Edinburgh takes about four and a half hours by train.”
“After a grueling three-day journey across the mountain pass, the weary explorers finally reached the coastal outpost.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'to' for the destination and 'from' for the origin.
Pitfall
How was your journey to the supermarket?
How was your trip to the supermarket?
Use 'journey' for long or difficult travel. For short, routine visits, 'trip' is more natural.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse 'journey' (the travel itself) with 'travel' (the general activity) or 'trip' (the whole visit including the stay).
Synonyms
02personal development
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a process of changing or learning over a long period of time.
n. a metaphorical progression or series of stages in a person's life, career, or emotional development.
“The book describes the author's spiritual journey after he moved to India.”
“The CEO spoke at length about the company's journey from a small garage startup to a global leader in renewable energy.”
Teaching tip
This sense is extremely common in modern media, especially in reality TV and corporate storytelling.
Synonyms
03customer experience
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Academic · Technical
n. the series of steps a customer takes when using a website or buying a product.
n. the complete sum of experiences and interactions a customer has with a brand or system.
“We need to simplify the customer journey on our website to increase sales.”
“Mapping the user journey allowed the developers to identify exactly where potential subscribers were abandoning the registration process.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the compound 'customer journey'.
Synonyms
04to travel
B2 · Upper Intermediate Literary
v. to travel a long distance.
v. to undertake a journey; to travel over a significant distance.
“They journeyed through the desert for weeks before finding an oasis.”
“The pilgrims journeyed southward, stopping at various shrines to pay their respects before reaching the holy city.”
Usage
Intransitive verb; usually followed by a prepositional phrase of direction.
Teaching tip
As a verb, this is much less common than 'travel' and sounds quite formal or poetic.
Confusables
Travel is the general activity, a journey is the movement from A to B, and a trip is the entire visit including the return.
RememberTravel is the verb; a journey is the path; a trip is the whole package.
Real-World Examples
“Adventurer Karl Bushby has been walking around the world for 28 years and now the end of his journey is in sight.” “It sounds like a Disney movie: three wild dogs, all brothers, on an epic journey to find a home of their own after their family tells them to leave.” “I traversed the United States on a bicycle alone and documented the journey.” Etymology
From Middle English journe, from Old French jornee, from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta, from Late Latin diurnum, from Latin diurnus, from diēs (“day”). Displaced native Old English fær and Old English faru.
Reborrowing from French journée (day's activities), originally an unadapted borrowing from French journée, from Old French jornee, from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Related words
In Literature
Long Day's Journey into Night · 1956-01-01 · Drama, tragedy
- Author:
- Eugene O'Neill
Eugene O'Neill’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play follows the Tyrone family over the course of a single, exhausting day as they confront their pasts and addictions. The title uses the word to describe a painful emotional process rather than a physical trip, illustrating the characters' decline into despair. As the sun sets, each family member undergoes a difficult internal struggle that reveals the tragic nature of their shared history.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/journey