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

Antonio Banderas' house—with the dune in the background, where Tony gets splashed with water every morning—was only a mile from my house. — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026

For several weeks now, the Army Corps of Engineers has been restoring the beaches and dunes after strong storms caused severe erosion last year. — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Artist’s impression of NASA's Dragonfly soaring over the dunes of Saturn’s moon Titan. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Data showed that between 2024 and 2026, the city paid about $290,000 and $330,000 per year for sand removal and dune reshaping to maintain the area for visitors. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 17 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