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

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Etymology

Origin of jungle

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

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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

See Examples For:

jungle jungles

One group of researchers will cut a trail through the jungle.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Cycle in the jungle Rent a bike on the largely car-free island of La Digue and ride along jungle paths, ending at world-famous boulder beaches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

“Between the harshness of the jungle and the humanity of his encounters, this novel recounts survival in a dazzlingly poetic language,” Fnac said when announcing the book’s win.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

“Sorcerer” is about a group of fugitives driving a load of dynamite across the jungle; “The Weight” follows a group of Depression-era convicts transferring gold through the forest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Alexander dangled from the musket as if it were part of a jungle gym, while Beowulf was perched on the man’s head, wrestling vigorously with the hat.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

After years in service and living in hobo jungles, Adam returns home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

"Roads were made and security forces opened camps inside the jungles," local police chief Sundarraj P, who spent years fighting the insurgency, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

A large military transport plane carrying Colombian troops crashed Monday in a forested part of the country’s southern jungles, officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

"We are homeless, hiding in jungles, and living between life and death," said the 40-year-old.

From Barron's ● Dec. 27, 2025

There were new kinds of fungus, she said, that were making jungles where the cables ran.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

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Related Words

• forest
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