Standard Lemma guide

Ishmael

name · noun · 5 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.

  • /ˈɪʃ.meɪ.əl/
  • /ˈɪʃ.meɪl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH1 SH M IY0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: IH1 SH M EY0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

The eldest son of Abraham and his wife's handmaiden Hagar who were cast out after the birth of Isaac; traditionally the ancestor of the Arabs via the Ishmaelites.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biblical, lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

A male given name from Hebrew.

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

An outcast.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a person who is rejected (from society or home)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outcast, castaway, pariah

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unfortunate, unfortunate person

Narrower terms: heretic, misbeliever, religious outcast, leper, untouchable, Harijan

5

noun

Meaning 5

(Old Testament) the son of Abraham who was cast out after the birth of Isaac; considered the forebear of 12 Arabian tribes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: patriarch

History

Etymology

From Hebrew יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yishma'él (yišmāʿēl), “God hears, God will hear”). Doublet of Ismail.

Across languages

Translations

72 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيل (ʔismāʕīl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܐܝܼܫܡܲܥܹܝܠ (īšmaˁēl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Bengali: ইসমাঈল (ismail) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Catalan: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Chinese Mandarin: 以實瑪利 /以实玛利 (Yǐshímǎlì) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Chinese Mandarin: 依市瑪耳 /依市玛耳 (Yīshìmǎ'ěr) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Maore Comorian: Ismaila — eldest son of Abraham
  • Dutch: Ismaël — eldest son of Abraham
  • Ewe: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Finnish: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • French: Ismaël — eldest son of Abraham
  • German: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Greek: Ισμαήλ (Ismaḯl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Ancient Greek: Ἰσμαήλ (Ismaḗl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Hausa: Isma'ilu — eldest son of Abraham
  • Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yishma'él) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Hindi: इश्माएल (iśmāel) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Hindi: इस्माइल (ismāil) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Hungarian: Izmael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Irish: Ísmeáéil — eldest son of Abraham
  • Italian: Ismaele — eldest son of Abraham
  • Japanese: イシュマエル (Ishumaeru) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Kazakh: Ысмайыл (Ysmaiyl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Korean: 이스마엘 (Iseuma'el) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Northern Kurdish: Simayil — eldest son of Abraham
  • Latin: Ismahel — eldest son of Abraham
  • Latin: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Macedonian: Исмаил (Ismail) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Malay: Ismail — eldest son of Abraham
  • Malay: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Marathi: इसमाईल (ismāīl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Persian: اسماعیل (esmâ'il) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Polish: Izmael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Portuguese: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Rohingya: Ismail — eldest son of Abraham
  • Russian: Измаи́л (Izmaíl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Russian: Исмаи́л (Ismaíl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Scottish Gaelic: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Somali: Ismaaciil — eldest son of Abraham
  • Spanish: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Swedish: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Tagalog: Ismael — eldest son of Abraham
  • Tajik: Исмоил (Ismoyil) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Tamil: இஸ்மாயீல் (ismāyīl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Tamil: இஸ்மவேல் (ismavēl) — eldest son of Abraham
  • Turkish: İsmail — eldest son of Abraham
  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܐܝܼܫܡܲܥܹܝܠ (īšmaˁēl) — male given name
  • Bengali: ইসমাঈল (ismail) — male given name
  • Chinese Mandarin: 伊什梅爾 /伊什梅尔 (Yīshíméi'ěr) — male given name
  • Chinese Mandarin: 伊斯梅爾 /伊斯梅尔 (Yīsīméi'ěr) — male given name
  • Ewe: Ismael — male given name
  • Finnish: Ismo — male given name
  • Galician: Ismael — male given name
  • Hausa: Isma'ilu — male given name
  • Hindi: इश्मेयल (iśmeyal) — male given name
  • Hungarian: Izmael — male given name
  • Kazakh: Ысмайыл (Ysmaiyl) — male given name
  • Northern Kurdish: Îsmaîl — male given name
  • Northern Kurdish: Simaîl — male given name
  • Northern Kurdish: Simo — male given name
  • Northern Kurdish: Simko — male given name
  • Macedonian: Исмаил (Ismail) — male given name
  • Malay: Ismail — male given name
  • Marathi: इशमेल (iśmel) — male given name
  • Marathi: इसमाईल (ismāīl) — male given name
  • Persian: اسماعیل (esmâ'il) — male given name
  • Portuguese: Ismael — male given name
  • Russian: Измаи́л (Izmaíl) — male given name
  • Russian: Исмаи́л (Ismaíl) — male given name
  • Somali: Ismaaciil — male given name
  • Spanish: Ismael — male given name
  • Turkish: İsmail — male given name
Real reading context

Ishmael in complete knowledge articles