jungle

noun

jun·​gle ˈjəŋ-gəl 

often attributive

1

a

: an impenetrable thicket or tangled mass of tropical vegetation

b

: a tract overgrown with thickets or masses of vegetation

2

a(1)

: a confused or disordered mass of objects : jumble

(2)

: something that baffles or frustrates by its tangled or complex character : maze

the jungle of housing laws

—Bernard Taper

b

: a place of ruthless struggle for survival

the city is a jungle where no one is safe after dark

—Stuart Chase

3

: electronic dance music that combines elements of techno, reggae, and hip-hop and is marked especially by an extremely fast beat

4

: a hobo camp

junglelike

ˈjəŋ-gə(l)-ˌlīk 

adjective

jungly

ˈjəŋ-g(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• mishmash
• mixed bag
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of jungle in a Sentence

life in the corporate jungle

It's hard to succeed in the business world. It's a jungle out there.

a jungle of environmental laws

Recent Examples on the Web

Efforts to utilize French Guiana’s vast natural resources ended in disaster on multiple occasions, the jungle interior taking on a reputation perhaps only equaled by Joseph Conrad’s deeply colonial descriptions of the Congo Free State in Heart of Darkness almost a century later. —Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024

California has a jungle primary system, meaning all candidates are listed under one ballot, regardless of party, for each office, and the top two finishers advance to the November general election. —The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024

Sip coffee out on the deck while taking in the jungle view, or venture off into the wilderness with your private access to the Captain Cook Trail. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 7 Dec. 2024

The discoveries have established that the earlier graphene superconductors mark just the outskirts of a wild new jungle. —Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Hindi jaṅgal & Urdu jangal forest, from Sanskrit jaṅgala desert region

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing jungle

• asphalt jungle
• concrete jungle
• jungle cat
• jungle fowl
• jungle gym
• the law of the jungle

Kids Definition

jungle

noun

jun·​gle ˈjəŋ-gəl 

1

: a thick tangled mass of tropical vegetation

2

: an area overgrown with jungle or other vegetation