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 of foyer

• 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

In 2022, Joshua Cain and his partner, André Reyes, stepped into the foyer of the home on Monrovia’s South Ivy Avenue and gaped in wonder. — Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Renovated in 2005 at a cost of $8 million, the intimate 17-room hotel displays the trappings of Europe’s grandest hotels, starting with an impressive foyer with a Murano glass chandelier shaped like Constantin Brancusi’s infinity column. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026

Five portraits by Gordon Parks, the photographer acclaimed for documenting African American life throughout the Civil Rights Era, frame the foyer inside Usher’s gracious Atlanta home. — Jewel Wicker, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026

Inside the foyer, five portraits from Civil Rights era photographer Gordon Parks grace the walls. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026

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