hovel

[ˈhʌvəl]

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

Synonyms for hovel

Antonyms for hovel

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'

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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.