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

• hall
• 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

The foyer leads to the central staircase, laid with a Pierre Frey Palmador runner. —Laura May Todd, Architectural Digest, 23 Apr. 2025

Decorative wallpaper opposite black walls in the foyer allow blue skies to pop at the end of the hall. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2025

Every repeat stroll through the halls revealed a new artful detail, many by Shanghainese creatives, like the foyer’s lacquered painting of magnolias. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025

Keeping a little dish for keys and lip balm in the foyer hardly seems like a groundbreaking innovation, right? —Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 16 Apr. 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