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

Tourists will be staking their claim to the beaches during the holiday weekend, and that will cause the horses to retreat back to the dunes. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026

The main house was gutted and opened up into a single living, dining, and kitchen space, while its eastern face was replaced with a floor-to-ceiling glass-and-steel system overlooking the dunes, ocean, and bay. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026

Na Praia won’t be open until summer 2027, but the proprietors of the beloved pastoral escape that is São Lourenço do Barrocal east of Comporta are promising an exquisite new offering of suites, houses, and villas nestled into the dunes themselves. — Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026

Michigan’s Oval Beach came in fourth with 14,000 hashtags, offering a wide stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline, freshwater swimming, rolling dunes, and sunsets that can rival those along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. — Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 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