jungle

American  

[juhng-guhl] / ˈdʒʌŋ gəl /

noun

jungles plural

1. a wild land overgrown with dense vegetation, often nearly impenetrable, especially tropical vegetation or a tropical rainforest.

2. a tract of such land.

3. a wilderness of dense overgrowth; a piece of swampy, thickset forestland.

4. any confused mass or agglomeration of objects; jumble.

   a jungle of wrecked automobiles.

5. something that baffles or perplexes; maze.

   a jungle of legal double-talk.

6. a scene of violence and struggle for survival.

   The neglected prison was a jungle for its inmates.

7. a place or situation of ruthless competition.

   the advertising jungle.

8. Slang.

   1. (in historical use) a hobo camp.

      We found him by the campfire, with many similarly raggedy hobos in what is known as a jungle.

   2. any camp of unhoused individuals.

      Law enforcement clears the jungle and tears down the temporary structures a few times each year, but people return and a new encampment always springs up.

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jungle British  

/ ˈdʒʌŋɡəl /

noun

1. an equatorial forest area with luxuriant vegetation, often almost impenetrable

2. any dense or tangled thicket or growth

3. a place of intense competition or ruthless struggle for survival

   the concrete jungle

4. a type of fast electronic dance music, originating in the early 1990s, which combines elements of techno and ragga

5. slang (esp in the Depression) a gathering place for the unemployed, etc

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jungle Idioms  

1. see law of the jungle.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underjungle
  noun
• jungled
  adjective
• jungly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• jungles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of jungle

First recorded in 1770–80; from Hindi jaṅgal, from Sanskrit jaṅgala “uncultivated land, dry land, waterless place”

Explanation

A jungle is a forest thick with trees, other plants, and animals. Jungles are a little dangerous, which is what people mean when they say, "It's a jungle out there!" Jungles — thick tropical forests — are full of life: birds, insects, reptiles, monkeys, and often gorillas and other animals. They're dangerous places, even for the animals that live there. This is why jungle also means any place that is risky or wild. If someone does something a dishonest or shady to get their way, some people will say that's "The law of the jungle," meaning you have to do some shifty things to survive.

Example Sentences

The banana tree was the first thing they started to grow - which gave them the idea the garden could potentially turn into a mini jungle.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

Mr. Duke outpolled the incumbent Republican, Buddy Roemer, in the state’s jungle primary.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

The 50-year-old lives outside the forest but calls himself a "jungle man" after years tapping resin from its trees.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

Managing it, the report notes, requires navigating a bureaucratic jungle that includes the zoo commission, neighborhood councils, city attorney, city controller and other departments, as well as the mayor and the City Council.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

He knew it meant certain death for him—he was too sick and his leg was in too much pain to fend for himself in the jungle.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• forest
• wasteland
• wood