Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for refuge. Search instead for refuged.
Synonyms

refuge

American  
[ref-yooj] / ˈrɛf yudʒ /

noun

  1. shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc..

    to take refuge from a storm.
    Synonyms:
    safety, security

  2. a place of shelter, protection, or safety.

    Synonyms:
    stronghold, haven, sanctuary, retreat, asylum

  3. anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape.

verb (used with object)

refuged, refuging

  1. Archaic. to afford refuge to.

verb (used without object)

refuged, refuging

  1. Archaic. to take refuge.

refuge British  
/ ˈrɛfjuːdʒ /

noun

  1. shelter or protection, as from the weather or danger

  2. any place, person, action, or thing that offers or appears to offer protection, help, or relief

    accused of incompetence, he took refuge in lying

  3. another name for traffic island

"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

verb

  1. archaic to take refuge or give refuge to

"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

Etymology

Origin of refuge

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin refugium, from refug(ere) “to turn and flee, run away” ( re- re- + fugere “to flee”; fugitive ) + -ium -ium

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.

Leaving the refuge, the vibrant color palette and moisture give way to muted browns and the returning austerity of desert air.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

But we aren’t a refuge for those unwilling to do the hard work of reforming their own states.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Scientists believe these early cephalopods found refuge in small, oxygen-rich pockets of the deep ocean.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

The move out of software reflects a growing belief from investors that in the era of AI disruption, physical assets offer refuge.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

In addition, they said that society depended on women maintaining the domestic sphere—the home—which provided a refuge from the stresses of the outside world.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

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.