refuge
Americannoun
-
refuges
plural
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
shelter or protection, as from the weather or danger
-
any place, person, action, or thing that offers or appears to offer protection, help, or relief
accused of incompetence, he took refuge in lying
-
another name for traffic island
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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”; see fugitive) + -ium -ium
Explanation
To take refuge is to find a safe place. You might take refuge under a bridge in a hail storm, or in a basement during a tornado. Refuge comes from a French word meaning "to flee," and, in most cases, a refuge is a place to flee to in order to get away from people or places that are unsafe. A refuge is a safe place, such as a building or even another country, as in "they sought refuge from the war by leaving their homeland," or it is a simple, personal place of comfort — like a friend's couch.
Vocabulary lists containing refuge
The Star-Spangled Banner
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Persepolis
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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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:
For those now looking to escape, the question is whether the West will offer them refuge — or send them back.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
A resident of one of the buildings that was hit, who identified herself as Iryna, 69, said she just had time to seek refuge in the toilets after receiving an air raid warning.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Morel Corp. is building a stately eco dome on a remote Greek island: a refuge for plutocratic preppers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Our investigation has found that other Syrian officials connected to the Tice case have also apparently found refuge abroad.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Now he found refuge, again, in the trees and thickets by the Smoking Earth River.
From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III
"In the surrounding chalk grassland, they can discover how plants and insects cope with extreme heat, and why shade, varied vegetation and connected habitats can provide vital refuges for wildlife."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Mobile home parks in Carson are among the last refuges of affordable housing for many residents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The study, funded by the Morris Animal Foundation, involved sampling more than 500 snakes from two wildlife refuges in South Carolina and Florida, covering 29 species.
From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026
Tehran's many parks, usually green lungs in a metropolis often choked by pollution, have become refuges since the fighting began.
From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026
A disturbing example of the latter seems to be building up on the national wildlife refuges at Tule Lake and Lower Klamath, both in California.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
“People are homeless, they have been refuged to the mountains.”
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 21, 2022
Exults on hearing, from his man Will., that the lady has refuged herself at Hampstead.
From Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 5 by Samuel Richardson
The light of that furnace shone through the lattice stonework of the tomb, and in its lurid and ominous glare Adrian beheld the faces of those who refuged with him.
From Lysbeth, a Tale of the Dutch by Henry Rider Haggard
Still, at the very bottom of her heart lay two thoughts in which her hope refuged itself.
From The Wide, Wide World by Susan Warner
Thus refuged, Clo slipped into the wrap, and arranged the floppy hood.
From The Lion's Mouse by A. M. (Alice Muriel) Williamson
Debarred the healthier paths of life, man rushes for employment to the refuging muse; and rightly so, for he finds an employment ornamental and useful still.
From Fables of John Gay (Somewhat Altered) by John Gay
The long snug harbour of Mahon, which was in the days of canvas wings almost always filled with craft refuging, is now in this era of steam usually tenantless.
From The Recipe for Diamonds by Charles John Cutcliffe Wright Hyne
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
