gondola

noun

gon·​do·​la ˈgän-də-lə 

(usual for sense 1)

gän-ˈdō- 

1

: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice

2

a

: an elongated car attached to the underside of an airship

b

: an often spherical airtight enclosure suspended from a balloon for carrying passengers or instruments

c

: an enclosed car suspended from a cable and used for transporting passengers

especially : one used as a ski lift

3

: a heavy flat-bottomed boat used on New England rivers and on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers

4

: a railroad car with no top, a flat bottom, and fixed sides that is used chiefly for hauling heavy bulk commodities

Illustration of gondola

• gondola 1

Examples of gondola in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Telluride is the largest resort nearby, with 148 trails across 2,000 skiable acres, plus 17 lifts that include two high-speed gondolas and three magic carpets. —Alex Schechter, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025

Also, did Nico have to propose on a gondola and in front of their friends? —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2025

The next day, on a gondola ride, Mindy and Emily are on yet another double date. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025

During a gondola ride with Mindy (Ashley Park) and Nico (Paul Forman), Marcello pulls out the ring box. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian dialect (Venetian), probably from Middle Greek kontoura small vessel

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gondola

noun

gon·​do·​la ˈgän-də-lə ( 

usual for sense 1

) 

gän-ˈdō-

1

: a long narrow boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice

2

: a railroad car with low sides and no top used for hauling loose freight

3

: an enclosure that hangs from something: as

a

: the part of a balloon in which passengers or instruments are carried

b

: a car that hangs from a cable and is used especially as a lift for skiers