fjord
Americannoun
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a long, narrow arm of the sea bordered by steep cliffs: usually formed by glacial erosion.
-
(in Scandinavia) a bay.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of fjord
From Norwegian; see origin at firth
Explanation
A fjord is a long, narrow strip of sea that falls between tall cliffs. If you’re traveling in Norway you might be amazed by the rocky cliffs surrounding the deep water of a fjord. A fjord is formed when a slow moving glacier carves out a valley in the earth that then becomes flooded by ocean water. Tall cliffs surrounding a narrow band of water make fjords look very dramatic. Fjords are common in countries like Norway, Iceland, and Greenland. The word fjord gets its looks from its Norwegian origins. Pronounce this funny looking word with a long “e” sound and the accent on the first syllable: “FEE-ord.”
Vocabulary lists containing fjord
Physical Geography - Middle School
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Boy: Tales of Childhood
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Physical Geography - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And the team’s official World Cup photo features the players dressed as Nordic warriors, weapons in hand, posed before a scenic fjord with long boats in the background.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Conservationist and photographer Rebecca Douglas is part of a team researching whales in a remote Icelandic fjord, which has been recording their sounds for a year.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
I drove through the woods and along a fjord until I reached the Alderbrook Resort & Spa, in a town called Union.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
But if the takeover is sudden, they will flee by boat to a cabin along the fjord.
From Barron's ● Jan. 17, 2026
Worsley, Vincent, Crean, and McCarthy took turns at their two oars, pulling the boat forward and trying to get into the long fjord.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
It was only a few days ago that the horde from the fjords was in Boston taking over the subway system before their team’s first match, a 4-1 victory over Iraq.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Norwegian public transport operator Boreal ordered 20 of the hydrofoiling electric passenger boats to service new and existing routes along the Norwegian coast and across the country’s fjords.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
Ice and snow-capped mountains stretch as far as the eye can see, interrupted here and there by glittering fjords - all between the Arctic and the Atlantic Oceans.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026
But climate change had a sting in the tail for those who headed north to enjoy the fjords and forests of northern Europe.
From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025
Then we jumped on a ferry to Scandinavia and took a tour of the fjords.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
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.
