gondola

noun

gon·​do·​la ˈgän-də-lə 

(usual for sense 1)

gän-ˈdō- 

1

: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice

2

a

: an elongated car attached to the underside of an airship

b

: an often spherical airtight enclosure suspended from a balloon for carrying passengers or instruments

c

: an enclosed car suspended from a cable and used for transporting passengers

especially : one used as a ski lift

3

: a heavy flat-bottomed boat used on New England rivers and on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers

4

: a railroad car with no top, a flat bottom, and fixed sides that is used chiefly for hauling heavy bulk commodities

Illustration of gondola

• gondola 1

Examples of gondola in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nothing tells you how ticket holders are responding to a movie like a gondola ride to or from the Chuck Jones Theatre. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

One fond memory of Telluride is once being trapped in a gondola with the often grumpy Mike Leigh. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026

The couple were photographed getting cozy together while taking a ride through the canals of Venice, Italy on a gondola. — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Hop on a gondola While mountain resorts are best known for skiing in the winter, many keep off-season tourists happy with scenic sky rides. — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian dialect (Venetian), probably from Middle Greek kontoura small vessel

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gondola

noun

gon·​do·​la ˈgän-də-lə ( 

usual for sense 1

) 

gän-ˈdō-

1

: a long narrow boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice

2

: a railroad car with low sides and no top used for hauling loose freight

3

: an enclosure that hangs from something: as

a

: the part of a balloon in which passengers or instruments are carried

b

: a car that hangs from a cable and is used especially as a lift for skiers