jungle

noun

jun·​gle ˈjəŋ-gəl How to pronounce jungle (audio)
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 lawsBernard Taper
b
: a place of ruthless struggle for survival
the city is a jungle where no one is safe after darkStuart 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 adjective
jungly adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over the last year and a half, more than 700,000 people have traversed this unforgiving slice of jungle that divides Colombia from Panama. Tirana Hassan, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024 In Louisiana's jungle primary system, any candidate who earns more than 50% of the vote wins outright. Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024 But the Guatemalan government went deep into the heart of the Petén jungle anyway, in search of its cultural heritage. Anna Lagos, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2024 This version of the character, who's based on a 1912 story by author Edgar Rice Burroughs, was about a man who had been raised in the jungle but left and returned more sophisticated. Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jungle 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of jungle was in 1776

Dictionary Entries Near jungle

Cite this Entry

“Jungle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jungle. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

jungle

noun
jun·​gle ˈjəŋ-gəl How to pronounce jungle (audio)
1
: a thick tangled mass of tropical vegetation
2
: an area overgrown with jungle or other vegetation

More from Merriam-Webster on jungle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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