lair

1 of 2

noun

ˈler 

1

dialectal British : a resting or sleeping place : bed

2

a

: the resting or living place of a wild animal : den

tracked the bear back to its lair

b

: a refuge or place for hiding

a villain's lair

lair

2 of 2

verb

laired; lairing; lairs

transitive verb

chiefly Scotland : to cause to sink in mire

intransitive verb

chiefly Scotland : wallow

Synonyms of lair

Noun

• hideout
• nest

Examples of lair in a Sentence

Noun

tracking the bear back to its lair

She runs the project from her private lair in the suburbs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In all iterations of the world of ‘TMNT,’ the lair probably stands out as the most iconic location. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025

The mid-century offered more literal interpretations of cave living, from The Flintstones (1960) to the villainous Bond lair, often hidden within or carved into cliffs. —Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025

But the Demogorgon catches up, dragging Will into the decaying lair of Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), looking as menacing as ever. —Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025

In his own secret lair, Vilgefortz learns from Istredd that Ciri possesses a the power to collapse space and time — not only for the Continent, but for other spheres of reality. —Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English leger; akin to Old High German legar bed, Old English licgan to lie — more at lie

Verb

Scots lair mire

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for lair

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

Kids Definition

lair

noun

ˈla(ə)r, 

ˈle(ə)r

1

: the den or resting place of a wild animal

2

: refuge sense 1, hideaway