journey
Americannoun
-
journeys
plural
-
a traveling from one place to another, usually taking a rather long time; trip.
a six-day journey across the desert.
-
a distance, course, or area traveled or suitable for traveling.
a desert journey.
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a period of travel.
a week's journey.
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passage or progress from one stage to another.
the journey to success.
verb (used without object)
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journeys,
present (3rd person singular)
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journeyed,
past participle, past
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journeying
present participle
noun
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a travelling from one place to another; trip or voyage
-
-
the distance travelled in a journey
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the time taken to make a journey
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verb
Usage
What does journey mean? A journey is a trip, especially one to a faraway place that takes place over a long period of time. The word trip can refer to any instance of traveling from one place to another, no matter how long or short it is. The word journey, though, typically implies a long trip—one that’s at least several hours, and perhaps several months or even years. It also often implies adventure—a journey might even be a quest. A journey may or may not have a planned destination other than whatever lies ahead. The word is also commonly used in a figurative way to liken any lengthy process or progress to such a trip, as in Life is a journey, with many interesting detours. Journey can also be used as a verb meaning to make a long trip, as in We must journey to the land beyond the mountains. Example: My favorite books are about people who make epic journeys around the world.
Synonym Usage
See trip 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
journeysimple
-
journeyssimple
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have journeyedperfect
-
has journeyedperfect
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am journeyingprogressive
-
are journeyingprogressive
-
is journeyingprogressive
-
have been journeyingperfect progressive
-
has been journeyingperfect progressive
Past
-
journeyedsimple
-
had journeyedperfect
-
was journeyingprogressive
-
were journeyingprogressive
-
had been journeyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of journey
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English journee “day,” from Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin diurnāta “a day's time, day's work, etc.,” equivalent to Latin diurn(us) “daily” + -āta, feminine of -ātus -ate 1; see -ade 1
Explanation
If you're looking for a more refined word to call your latest drive to the beach or trip to the mall, try journey — a noun that describes travel from one place to another. From the Old French journée, meaning a “day’s work or travel,” journey doubles as both noun and verb. The noun simply refers to a voyage; the verb is the act of taking that voyage. So you can journey across the Sahara, or tell friends about your journey across the desert if you make it back alive. Either way, you should always remember that life is a journey, not a destination.
Vocabulary lists containing journey
Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Greetings, World Traveler! — List 2
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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:
In 2025, Begley's Blanket on the Ground becoming the unofficial anthem for the Dungannon Swifts and their journey to the Irish Cup final.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
I think you see him go through that journey in “Agatha.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
"It's been a great journey and it's important we continue because there's no cure," said Sinfield.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
And while it’s still early days for customer adoption of shopping agents, it’s clear that swaths of the population are using chatbots as a starting point in their shopping journey to research and compare products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
He made plans to pick up additional provisions on their journey northward.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
I also write and talk about mental health, and I’ve helped coach a number of people—friends of friends, mothers of friends, even near-strangers—through their own ECT journeys.
From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026
In a statement posted on X, he pledged to intensify efforts to dismantle the networks organising the journeys.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
He’ll continue to cover their winding journeys back into golf’s good graces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
As missions involve longer journeys and increasingly complex operations, the team wants to reduce the time and resources needed to plan safe routes.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
It seemed easy enough, but Danny knew how difficult journeys could be.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
None rose so quickly, journeyed so widely or left his mark so deeply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Misley Mandarin, one of the British-Chagossians who journeyed to the territory, said he had come "peacefully, respectfully, and without threat to anyone - simply to stand on our homeland again".
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
Humans have journeyed roughly 25 billion km beyond our planet, yet drilling beneath Earth's surface has only reached a depth of just over 12 km.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 5, 2026
Between the 1930s and the 1970s, German ethnologist Hans Himmelheber journeyed across Ivory Coast amassing a collection of ritual objects.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
In his agony of doubt he journeyed to Delphi to ask the oracle to help him, and Apollo spoke to him in clear words bidding him,
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Evan Mills, a financial advisor at Scholar Advising who works with SpaceX employees, previously told MarketWatch that many of those employees believe in the company’s long-term vision, which includes journeying to Mars.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
He says that many of them were thirsty, starving or had rotten feet after journeying into Evros.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
Earlier this week, the four astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission rode their Orion craft into the record books, journeying farther beyond their home planet than any humans before them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
The four astronauts on NASA's Artemis 2 mission began their fifth day journeying to the Moon on Sunday, after already taking in sights of the lunar surface never before seen by human eyes.
From Barron's ● Apr. 5, 2026
But journeying to Robben Island was like going to another country.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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