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jungle

noun, often attributive
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jun·​gle | \ ˈjəŋ-gəl How to pronounce jungle (audio) \

Definition of jungle

1a : an impenetrable thicket or tangled mass of tropical vegetation
b : a tract overgrown with thickets or masses of vegetation
2a(1) : a confused or disordered mass of objects : jumble
(2) : something that baffles or frustrates by its tangled or complex character : maze the jungle of housing laws— Bernard Taper
b : a place of ruthless struggle for survival the city is a jungle where no one is safe after dark— Stuart Chase
3 : electronic dance music that combines elements of techno, reggae, and hip-hop and is marked especially by an extremely fast beat
4 : a hobo camp
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Other Words from jungle

junglelike \ ˈjəŋ-​gə(l)-​ˌlīk How to pronounce junglelike (audio) \ adjective
jungly \ ˈjəŋ-​g(ə-​)lē How to pronounce jungly (audio) \ adjective

Examples of jungle in a Sentence

life in the corporate jungle It's hard to succeed in the business world. It's a jungle out there. a jungle of environmental laws
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Recent Examples on the Web The elite Wildfire crew will trudge into the jungle and try to keep the planet from being infected. — Ron Charles, Washington Post, "Michael Crichton’s classic thriller ‘The Andromeda Strain’ gets a deadly sequel," 12 Nov. 2019 Suddenly, sleek and black as night, a small wildcat called a jaguarundi descended the trunk of a Brazil nut tree, leaped to the forest floor and ran off into the jungle. — Jason G. Goldman, Scientific American, "Monkeys Use Alarm Calls to Tell Predators to Scram," 12 June 2019 All appeared armed and in uniform, flanked by rebels in what seemed to be a new guerrilla camp in the jungle. — New York Times, "Colombia’s Former FARC Guerrilla Leader Calls for Return to War," 29 Aug. 2019 RIO DE JANEIRO - High above this Brazilian city, in a jungle blanketing a mountain, the turtles were out and the scene was hopeful. — Anchorage Daily News, "The dog is one of the world’s most destructive mammals. Brazil proves it.," 21 Aug. 2019 Dora and the Lost City of Gold PG Dora has spent her entire youth as a jungle explorer. — Ramona Sentinel, "Flickers: ‘Angel Has Fallen’ and ‘Overcomer’ open Friday," 20 Aug. 2019 While travelling, the troops had to choose between two paths and ended up in the jungle. — Laura Bednar, cleveland.com, "Long-time Independence resident and WWII Veteran turns 100," 17 Aug. 2019 The atoll’s jungle environment made the technical aspects of the project challenging as well. — Carina Julig, The Denver Post, "Denver-based firm goes to work in the middle of the Indian Ocean," 2 Aug. 2019 The vote is spread over six weeks because of the daunting logistics of polling the world’s largest electorate: roughly 900 million voters stretching from the remote Himalayas in the north to the tropical jungles of the south. — Washington Post, "Your Guide to India’s Upcoming General Election," 18 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jungle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of jungle

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

History and Etymology for jungle

Hindi jaṅgal & Urdu jangal forest, from Sanskrit jaṅgala desert region

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Time Traveler for jungle

Time Traveler

The first known use of jungle was in 1776

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Statistics for jungle

Last Updated

21 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Jungle.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jungly. Accessed 22 November 2019.

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More Definitions for jungle

jungle

noun
jun·​gle | \ ˈjəŋ-gəl How to pronounce jungle (audio) \

Kids Definition of jungle

1 : a thick or tangled growth of tropical plants The explorers hacked at the jungle to clear a path.
2 : a large area of land usually in a tropical region covered with a thick tangled growth of plants

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More from Merriam-Webster on jungle

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for jungle

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with jungle

Spanish Central: Translation of jungle

Nglish: Translation of jungle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of jungle for Arabic Speakers

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