foyer

noun

foy·​er ˈfȯi(-ə)r  ˈfȯi-ˌ(y)ā 

 also  ˈfwä-ˌyā

: an anteroom or lobby especially of a theater

also : an entrance hallway : vestibule

Synonyms

• lobby

Examples of foyer in a Sentence

theatergoers crowded the foyer during the play's intermission

leave your muddy boots in the foyer and come into the house

Recent Examples on the Web

Extending the exhibition beyond the gallery space, Rashid Johnson’s Five Broken Men (2024) will be displayed in the PMA’s West Entrance foyer, the most ambitious print the Brand X studio has produced to date. —Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Once inside, a small foyer flows to a sunken fireside living room boasting a soaring wood-beam ceiling dotted with large woven rattan pendant lights and sliding glass doors spilling outside. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025

Restrooms are in the Customer Service Center foyer and are available throughout the entire day. —Jennie Key, The Enquirer, 31 Aug. 2025

In one of the most striking examples catalogued by the A-Mark Foundation, a Florida man rammed his van through the front doors of a Catholic church, then poured gasoline on the foyer and lit a fire as parishioners were preparing to celebrate Mass. —Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, fireplace, from Vulgar Latin *focarium, from Latin focus hearth

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foyer

• oyer
• destroyer
• employer
• multiemployer

Kids Definition

foyer

noun

foy·​er ˈfȯi(-ə)r  ˈfȯi-ˌ(y)ā 

1

: a lobby especially in a theater

2

: an entrance hallway : vestibule