hovel Definition
- 1a small, poorly built and often dirty house or shelter
- 2a wretched living place
Using hovel: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "hovel" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The homeless man was living in a hovel under the bridge.
Example
The peasants lived in hovels made of mud and straw.
Example
The writer spent a year living in a hovel in the countryside.
Example
The hovel was infested with rats and insects.
hovel Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with hovel
hovel up
to take shelter in a hovel or other small, cramped space
Example
The refugees hoveled up in abandoned buildings to escape the war.
hovel-like
resembling or characteristic of a hovel, especially in being small, cramped, and dirty
Example
The apartment was so small and dirty that it felt hovel-like.
hovel-dweller
a person who lives in a hovel or other small, cramped, and often dirty dwelling
Example
The hovel-dwellers were forced to leave their homes when the floodwaters rose.
Origins of hovel
from Old English 'hof', meaning 'dwelling, house'
Summary: hovel in Brief
'Hovel' [ˈhʌvəl] refers to a small, poorly built, and often dirty house or shelter. It is typically associated with poverty and wretched living conditions, as in 'The homeless man was living in a hovel under the bridge.' The term can also be used in phrases like 'hovel up,' meaning to take shelter in a cramped space, and 'hovel-like,' describing something that resembles or is characteristic of a hovel.
