ajar

[ uh-jahr ]

/ əˈdʒɑr /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ajar ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, adverb

neither entirely open nor entirely shut; partly open: The door was ajar.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

aix-la-chapelle, aix-les-bains, aja, ajaccio, ajanta, ajar, ajaria, ajarian autonomous republic, ajax, ajax mountain, ajc

Origin of ajar

1350–1400; Middle English on char on the turn; see a-¹, char³

Definition for ajar (2 of 2)

ajar

[ uh-jahr ]

/ əˈdʒɑr /

adverb, adjective

in contradiction to; at variance with: a story ajar with the facts.

Origin of ajar

1545–55; for at jar at discord; cf. jar³ (noun)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ajar

The former girlfriend of Ajar, Ames was also friends with Roy Lopez, the other alleged “fence,” and buddies with Lee.
The Real Bling Ring: Where Are They Now?|Tricia Romano|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Postscript: According to his Instagram and Facebook feed, Ajar is still living large.
The Real Bling Ring: Where Are They Now?|Tricia Romano|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Nothing especially surprising there, except that she kept opening the door instead of leaving it ajar while cleaning.
The Martyrdom of DSK|Christopher Dickey|July 5, 2011|DAILY BEAST
His door was ajar, so that he could hear the opening of the door of our room.
Dracula|Bram Stoker

Again the captain's eyes swept round the room, to guard against any doors that might be ajar.
Macaria|Augusta Jane Evans Wilson
The door was ajar, and he stepped into a little hall covered with ingrain carpet.
K|Mary Roberts Rinehart
This was a disturbing incident, and I was surprised to discover that the door into the adjoining room was ajar.
Blindfolded|Earle Ashley Walcott
The doors connecting these apartments were ajar, but closed enough to conceal one room from the other.
Fashion and Famine|Ann S. Stephens

British Dictionary definitions for ajar (1 of 2)

ajar

/ (əˈdʒɑː) /

adjective, adverb (postpositive)

(esp of a door or window) slightly open

Word Origin for ajar

C18: altered form of obsolete on char, literally: on the turn; char, from Old English cierran to turn

British Dictionary definitions for ajar (2 of 2)

ajar

/ (əˈdʒɑː) /

adjective

(postpositive) not in harmony

Word Origin for ajar

C19: altered form of at jar at discord. See jar ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012