Standard Lemma guide

lodger

noun · 2 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: /ˈlɑd͡ʒɚ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈlɒd͡ʒə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒdʒə(ɹ)

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who lodges in another's house (compare tenant).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • paying lodger
  • family lodger
  • accept a lodger
  • They took in a lodger to help cover the rent.
  • The police questioned the lodger after the incident.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a tenant in someone's house

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: boarder, roomer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tenant, renter

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewbh-der.? Proto-Germanic *laubą Proto-West Germanic *laub Proto-Germanic *-jô Proto-West Germanic *-jō Frankish *laubijābor. Early Medieval Latin laubiader. Old French logebor. Middle English logge English lodge English -er English lodger From lodge + -er.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُسْتَأجِر — person who lodges in another's house
  • Bulgarian: квартирант (kvartirant) — person who lodges in another's house
  • Dutch: kostganger — person who lodges in another's house
  • Finnish: alivuokralainen — person who lodges in another's house
  • Hebrew: דיר (dayar) — person who lodges in another's house
  • Icelandic: leigjandi — person who lodges in another's house
  • Latin: inquilīnus — person who lodges in another's house
  • Macedonian: по́тстанар (pótstanar) — person who lodges in another's house
  • Russian: жилец (žilec) — person who lodges in another's house
  • Russian: квартирант (kvartirant) — person who lodges in another's house
  • Russian: квартирантка (kvartirantka) — person who lodges in another's house
  • Russian: постоялец (postojalec) — person who lodges in another's house
  • Russian: жилица (žilica) — person who lodges in another's house
  • Spanish: huésped — person who lodges in another's house
Real reading context

lodger in complete knowledge articles