ajar
1 Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of ajar1
1350–1400; Middle English on char on the turn; see a- 1, char 3
Origin of ajar2
1545–55; for at jar at discord; cf. jar 3 (noun)
Explanation
The adjective ajar describes something that is slightly open. A door that has been left ajar is easily pushed open by the wind or a nosy person. To correctly pronounce ajar, say "uh-JAR." People in a hurry leave drawers and cabinet doors ajar, or hanging open. If a chime starts ringing when you start a car, a door or the trunk may be ajar. Check that everything is securely closed before taking off. But don't describe a mouth that is open in surprise as ajar. A better word choice is agape.
Vocabulary lists containing ajar
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Six
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Chains
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Mr. Popper’s Penguins
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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.
Ajar, which works on accountability for mass crimes across south-east Asia, has brought a total of 57 stolen children back home.
From The Guardian • Dec. 19, 2017
She and a small retinue from Ajar ascended from the capital, Dili, in a truck that started and stopped, grinding its wheels into sheets of toffee-coloured mudwater.
From The Guardian • Dec. 19, 2017
The tangled web turned knotty mess began when Gary, a celebrated French author two decades past his prime, decided in 1973 to write his new novel, his 20th, under a new name: Émile Ajar.
From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2017
“There’s nothing more depressing than only being who you are, some small work that’s the result of circumstance,” Lila, still a teenager, tells him in an echo of Gary’s own Émile Ajar confession.
From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2017
“Sorry you don’t know a Gates Ajar when you see it,” said Tom, grinning.
From Winona of the Camp Fire by Widdemer, Margaret
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.
