First recorded in 1865–70; from Hawaiian lānai ”roofed structure with open sides, porch”
If you're sitting on a covered veranda or porch that's attached to a house — especially if you happen to be in Hawaii — you're lucky enough to be lounging on a lanai. A lanai is a very common element in Hawaiian homes and buildings; in fact, many hotels and restaurants have more than one lanai. The original purpose of a lanai, which is simply an open-sided veranda with a roof, was to provide a cool spot for sitting and enjoying a shady breeze. Modern Hawaiian buildings sometimes have "enclosed lanais," which are glass-walled, air conditioned porches. As a proper noun, Lanai is the sixth-largest Hawaiian island.
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Butler, 70, and Chapin, 82, golf at the 18-hole course, ride bikes on winding trails and enjoy sunsets on their lanai.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
A husband and wife were watching a movie around 9 p.m. on June 15 when the wife heard noises from the pool lanai and observed someone she didn’t recognize on the pool deck, Gualtieri said.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 27, 2023
An architect created drawings for a two-bedroom, one-bathroom house, complete with energy-efficient appliances and a covered lanai.
From Salon • Nov. 29, 2022
Luckily, though, that hole was not too big and was only in the lanai, an enclosed porch.
From New York Times • Oct. 2, 2022
Olly’s seated on the top rung of the railing on the lanai.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
