Standard Lemma guide

indoors

adv · noun · 3 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɪnˈdɔːz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ɪnˈdɔɹz/
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)z
  • CMU ARPABET: IH1 N D AO2 R Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Inside, into, or within a building.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • We stayed indoors to avoid the brutal heat.
  • We went indoors when it started to rain.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The interior of a building; the space inside buildings generally.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I prefer the indoors to the outdoors.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

within a building

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • in winter we play inside

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inside

Antonyms: outdoors

History

Etymology

From in + doors, originally two words, representing earlier within doors.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: binnenshuis — in or into a building
  • Albanian: brënda — in or into a building
  • Bulgarian: вътре (vǎtre) — in or into a building
  • Bulgarian: на закрито (na zakrito) — in or into a building
  • Catalan: a l'interior — in or into a building
  • Chinese Mandarin: 室內 /室内 (shìnèi) — in or into a building
  • Danish: indendørs — in or into a building
  • Dutch: indoor — in or into a building
  • Finnish: sisään — in or into a building
  • French: à l'intérieur — in or into a building
  • French: dedans — in or into a building
  • German: drinnen — in or into a building
  • German: hinein — in or into a building
  • German: herein — in or into a building
  • German: rein — in or into a building
  • Icelandic: inni — in or into a building
  • Icelandic: inn — in or into a building
  • Ingrian: sissee — in or into a building
  • Ingrian: uulitsalt — in or into a building
  • Ingrian: sises — in or into a building
  • Irish: isteach — in or into a building
  • Irish: istigh — in or into a building
  • Irish: laistigh — in or into a building
  • Italian: dentro — in or into a building
  • Italian: al chiuso — in or into a building
  • Italian: all'interno — in or into a building
  • Mongolian: дотор (dotor) — in or into a building
  • Norwegian: innendørs — in or into a building
  • Norwegian: innomhus — in or into a building
  • Norwegian Bokmål: innadørs — in or into a building
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: innandørs — in or into a building
  • Old English: inne — in or into a building
  • Old English: inn — in or into a building
  • Portuguese: num lugar fechado — in or into a building
  • Russian: в помеще́нии (v pomeščénii) — in or into a building
  • Russian: внутри́ — in or into a building
  • Samoan: i totonu — in or into a building
  • Lower Sorbian: nutśi — in or into a building
  • Spanish: dentro — in or into a building
  • Swedish: inomhus — in or into a building
  • Tongan: 'i loto fale — in or into a building
Real reading context

indoors in complete knowledge articles