dune

noun

ˈdün 

also ˈdyün

: a hill or ridge of sand piled up by the wind

dunelike

ˈdün-ˌlīk 

also ˈdyün-

adjective

Examples of dune in a Sentence

We wandered over the dunes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, in May, on the beaches around the Vjosa Delta, considered the last wild river on the continent, bulldozers arrived and began uprooting pine trees, flattening dunes, and opening access routes. —Marzio G. Mian, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026

That’s when people began hiring full-time live-in dog nannies, paying as much as $55 an hour on top of room and board in the mega-mansions in the dunes. —Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026

See nature in action as gopher tortoises burrow in the dunes and shorebirds wade in the surf. —Ana Pelayo Connery, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2026

The rapid movement of sand, blowing over the top of the dune, put the restroom building in peril and threatened to cover even more of the parking lot if left unchecked. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, from Middle Dutch; akin to Old English dūn down — more at down

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dune

• dune buggy
• sand dune

Rhymes for dune

• boon
• brune
• coon
• croon
• goon
• hewn
• hoon
• june
• loon
• moon
• noon
• poon

Kids Definition

dune

noun

ˈd(y)ün 

: a hill or ridge of sand piled up by the wind