room

American  

[room, room] / rum, rʊm /

noun

1. a portion of space within a building or other structure, separated by walls or partitions from other parts.

   a dining room.

2. rooms, lodgings or quarters, as in a house or building.

3. the persons present in a room.

   The whole room laughed.

4. space or extent of space occupied by or available for something.

   The desk takes up too much room.

5. opportunity or scope for something.

   room for improvement; room for doubt.

   Synonyms:

   allowance, margin, provision

6. status or a station in life considered as a place.

   He fought for room at the top.

7. capacity.

   Her brain had no room for trivia.

8. Mining. a working area cut between pillars.

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verb (used without object)

1. to occupy a room or rooms; lodge.

room British  

/ ruːm, rʊm /

noun

1. space or extent, esp unoccupied or unobstructed space for a particular purpose

   is there room to pass?

2. an area within a building enclosed by a floor, a ceiling, and walls or partitions

   sitting room

   dining room

3. (functioning as singular or plural) the people present in a room

   the whole room was laughing

4. (foll by for) opportunity or scope

   room for manoeuvre

5. (plural) a part of a house, hotel, etc, that is rented out as separate accommodation; lodgings

   she got rooms in town

6. a euphemistic word for lavatory

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verb

1. (intr) to occupy or share a room or lodging

   where does he room?

room Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing room

• not enough room to swing a cat
• take up space (room)

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Other Word Forms

• roomer
  noun
• underroom
  noun

Etymology

Origin of room

First recorded before 900; Middle English roum(e), Old English rūm; cognate with Dutch ruim, German Raum

Explanation

A room is a space in a house or building that's usually enclosed with walls. Your favorite room in your house might be the den where the TV is, or the cozy kitchen. There's the physical area called a room, and then there's the concept of room, which can mean "space" or "opportunity." If you have room in your life for a puppy, it means you can make the time to walk it and feed it and play with it. If you have room in your bedroom for a puppy, it means you have the physical space you need for a dog bed.

Example Sentences

They could return him to triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Snell on Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

So Lowe’s has room to find more contractors—especially as analysts expect it adds stores.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

Rao negotiated a capital infusion that kept Airbnb afloat: a $1 billion deal from Sixth Street Partners and Silver Lake that gave the company crucial breathing room.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

What should have been a week focused entirely on a high-stakes El Clasico against Barcelona has instead become dominated by reports of conflict and crisis inside Real Madrid's dressing room.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Even Dutch stations carried mostly war news, and that we could hear just as well on the small portable radio we kept now in the dining room, a gift from Pickwick the Christmas before.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• accommodation
• apartment
• cabin
• cave
• chamber
• cubicle
• den
• lodging
• office
• suite