noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈhɑstəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈhɒstəl/
South-Asia:/ˈhɔsʈəl/
South-Asia:/hɔsˈʈɛl/
South-Asia:/ˈhosʈəl/
South-Asia:/hɵsˈʈɛl/
homophone: hostile (one pronunciation)
rhymes with -ɒstəl
CMU ARPABET:HH AA1 S T AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An overnight lodging place for travelers, with dormitory accommodation and shared facilities, especially a youth hostel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a rundown hostel
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A small, unendowed college in Oxford or Cambridge.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A public hotel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A university or school dormitory, a place of accommodation for students.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: South-Africa, South-Asia
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To stay in a hostel during one's travels.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To lodge (a person) in a hostel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
inexpensive supervised lodging (especially for youths on bicycling trips)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: youth hostel, student lodging
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: housing, lodging, living accommodations
9
noun
Meaning 9
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hostelry, inn, lodge, auberge
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hotel
Narrower terms: caravansary, caravanserai, khan, caravan inn, imaret, posthouse, post house, roadhouse
History
Etymology
From Middle English hostel, from Old French hostel, ostel, from Late Latin hospitale (“hospice”), from Classical Latin hospitalis (“hospitable”) itself from hospes (“host”) + -alis (“-al”). Doublet of hotel and hospital. Not in use from late 17th c. (in the usual sense from mid 16th c.) to 1808, when it was revived by Walter Scott in his poem Marmion (see the quotation).
Across languages
Translations
94 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
نُزُل
(nuzul)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Arabic:
أُوتِيل
(ʔōtēl)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Armenian:
հանրակացարան
(hanrakacʻaran)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Armenian:
հոսթել
(hostʻel)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Armenian:
իջեւանատուն
(iǰewanatun)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Bulgarian:
хосте́л
(hostél)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Catalan:
alberg
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Chinese Mandarin:
招待所
(zhāodàisuǒ)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Chinese Mandarin:
宿舍
(sùshè)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Chinese Mandarin:
旅舍
(lǚshè)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Chinese Mandarin:
旅社
(lǚshè)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Chinese Mandarin:
背包客棧 /背包客栈
(bēibāo kèzhàn)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Czech:
hostel
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Danish:
vandrerhjem
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Danish:
hostel
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Danish:
herberg
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Dutch:
herberg
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Dutch:
pension
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Esperanto:
gastejo
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Finnish:
hostelli
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Finnish:
retkeilymaja
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Finnish:
matkustajakoti
— an affordable overnight lodging place
French:
auberge
— an affordable overnight lodging place
French:
pension
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Georgian:
ჰოსტელი
(hosṭeli)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Georgian:
საერთო საცხოვრებელი
(saerto sacxovrebeli)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
German:
Herberge
— an affordable overnight lodging place
German:
Wohnheim
— an affordable overnight lodging place
German:
Heim
— an affordable overnight lodging place
German:
Herbrig
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Greek:
ξενώνας
(xenónas)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Hebrew:
אַכְסָנִיָּה
(achsanía)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Hungarian:
vendégház
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Hungarian:
szálló
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Hungarian:
fogadó
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Indonesian:
losmen
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Italian:
ostello
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Japanese:
ホステル
(hosuteru)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Japanese:
寮
(ryō)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Japanese:
宿舎
(shukusha)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Khmer:
ផ្ទះសំណាក់
(phtĕəh sɑmnak)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Korean:
호스텔
(hoseutel)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Korean:
기숙사
(gisuksa)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Macedonian:
хо́стел
(hóstel)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Māori:
wharepuni
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Polish:
hostel
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Portuguese:
albergue
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Portuguese:
estalagem
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Romanian:
hostel
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Russian:
общежи́тие
(obščežítije)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Russian:
турба́за
(turbáza)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Russian:
хо́стел
(xóstɛl)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Russian:
хосте́л
(xostɛ́l)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Russian:
мини-оте́ль
(mini-otɛ́lʹ)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Scottish Gaelic:
ostail
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Slovak:
hostel
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Spanish:
albergue
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Spanish:
parador
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Spanish:
hostal
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Swahili:
hosteli
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Swedish:
vandrarhem
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Swedish:
pensionat
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Swedish:
ungkarlshotell
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Swedish:
härbärge
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Tamil:
விடுதி
(viṭuti)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Thai:
หอพัก
(hɔ̌ɔ-pák)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Turkish:
hostel
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Ukrainian:
гурто́житок
(hurtóžytok)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Ukrainian:
го́стел
(hóstel)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Ukrainian:
госте́л
(hostél)
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Vietnamese:
nhà nghỉ
— an affordable overnight lodging place
Armenian:
օթեւան
(ōtʻewan)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Belarusian:
прыту́лак
(prytúlak)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Belarusian:
начле́жка
(načljéžka)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Belarusian:
прыю́т
(pryjút)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Bulgarian:
прию́т
(prijút)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Dutch:
hospies
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Greek:
άσυλο
(ásylo)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Portuguese:
albergue
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Portuguese:
abrigo
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Russian:
прию́т
(prijút)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Russian:
ночле́жка
(nočléžka)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Russian:
ночле́жный дом
(nočléžnyj dom)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Serbo-Croatian:
прѐноћӣште
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Serbo-Croatian:
prènoćīšte
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Swedish:
härbärge
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Ukrainian:
приту́лок
(prytúlok)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Ukrainian:
нічлі́жка
(ničlížka)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Ukrainian:
прию́т
(pryjút)
— a temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Hindi:
छात्रावास
(chātrāvās)
— place of accommodation for students
Hindi:
हॉस्टल
(hŏsṭal)
— place of accommodation for students
Portuguese:
lar de estudantes
— place of accommodation for students
Tamil:
விடுதி
(viṭuti)
— place of accommodation for students
Tamil:
ஹாஸ்டல்
(hāsṭal)
— place of accommodation for students
