lounge

American  

[lounj] / laʊndʒ /

verb (used without object)

lounges, present (3rd person singular) lounged, past participle, past lounging present participle

1. to pass time idly and indolently.

   Synonyms:

   potter, dally, relax, idle, loaf

2. to rest or recline indolently; loll.

   We lounged in the sun all afternoon.

3. to go or move in a leisurely, indolent manner; saunter (usually followed by around, along, off, etc.).

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verb (used with object)

lounges, present (3rd person singular) lounged, past participle, past lounging present participle

1. to pass (time) in lounging (usually followed by away orout ).

   to lounge away the afternoon.

noun

lounges plural

1. a sofa for reclining, sometimes backless, having a headrest at one end.

2. a place for sitting, waiting, smoking, etc., especially a large public room, as in a hotel, theater, or air terminal, often with adjoining washrooms.

3. a section on a train, plane, or ship having various club or social facilities.

4. a cocktail lounge.

5. Archaic. the act or a period of lounging.

6. Archaic. a lounging gait.

lounge British  

/ laʊndʒ /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by about or around) to sit, lie, walk, or stand in a relaxed manner

2. to pass (time) lazily or idly

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noun

1. 1. a communal room in a hotel, ship, theatre, etc, used for waiting or relaxing in

   2. ( as modifier )

      lounge chair

2. a living room in a private house

3. Also called: lounge bar.   saloon bar.  a more expensive bar in a pub or hotel

4. 1. an expensive bar, esp in a hotel

   2. short for cocktail lounge

5. a sofa or couch, esp one with a headrest and no back

6. the act or an instance of lounging

Synonym Usage

Lounge, loll, laze, and loaf can all be used to mean “to pass time idly.” But lounge implies a leaning or reclining posture, and an experience of comfort, relaxation, and enjoyment: When he was home, he preferred to lounge in his easy chair and watch TV. Loll also conveys a leaning posture: Visitors can loll on the grass in beanbag chairs or loungers. Laze suggests no particular posture, but a relaxed indulgence, as in We spent the summer swimming, surfing, and lazing under the sun, while loaf is sometimes used to convey idle wastefulness: I spent all of Sunday just loafing around the house.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• loungy
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lounges
  plural

Participles

• lounging
  present
• lounged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• lounge
  simple
• lounges
  simple
• have lounged
  perfect
• has lounged
  perfect
• am lounging
  progressive
• are lounging
  progressive
• is lounging
  progressive
• have been lounging
  perfect progressive
• has been lounging
  perfect progressive

Past

• lounged
  simple
• had lounged
  perfect
• was lounging
  progressive
• were lounging
  progressive
• had been lounging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will lounge
  simple
• will have lounged
  perfect
• will be lounging
  progressive
• will have been lounging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of lounge

First recorded in 1500–10; origin uncertain

Explanation

It's hard to lounge, or recline comfortably, in the lounge, or waiting area, of an airport terminal. Maybe they shouldn't call it a lounge. Lounge comes from the French s'allonger meaning "to lounge about, lie at full length." Whether you're talking about a room with seats in a hotel made for waiting, or a nice comfy sofa, or the act of reclining comfortably, lounge has everything to do with making yourself comfortable in one spot for a while. It also means to hang around in an easy way, the way you might lounge around the poolside area in a luxury hotel.

Example Sentences

The Portal Lounge is, by design, not your grandfather’s airport lounge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

He stood on the roof of the Cigars & Stripes BBQ Lounge, brandishing a chicken wing and a fridge-size bottle of barbecue sauce while chewing on a stogie.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

In 2022, Olivia Rodrigo covered the title track to his third album, Stick Season, in Radio 1's Live Lounge, putting a rocket under his career.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

Afterward, the entrepreneur mingled with guests—honorees included Sylvester Stallone and George Strait—inside the SyberJet Lounge, a swanky space that his company had spent millions to sponsor and that President Trump had called “gorgeous.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

I sit in the Vista Lounge drawing while Callie looks out the window.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• idle
• laze
• loiter
• loll
• recline
• relax
• saunter
• sprawl