lair

1 of 2

noun

ˈler 

1

dialectal British : a resting or sleeping place : bed

2

a

: the resting or living place of a wild animal : den

tracked the bear back to its lair

b

: a refuge or place for hiding

a villain's lair

lair

2 of 2

verb

laired; lairing; lairs

transitive verb

chiefly Scotland : to cause to sink in mire

intransitive verb

chiefly Scotland : wallow

Synonyms of lair

Noun

• hideout
• nest

Examples of lair in a Sentence

Noun

tracking the bear back to its lair

She runs the project from her private lair in the suburbs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The set feels less like a ’90s living room than a cozy villain’s lair, warm but volatile (and easily set ablaze). —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026

Dane Lafrey’s magnificent, multi-level design makes maximum use of the Palace’s cavernous stage to create a lair to die for. —Frank Rizzo, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026

At the Broadhurst, where Cats has now built its lair, Hauck has brought the runway back and provided some onstage seating to replicate the audience’s proximity to the action. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026

And then there’s newcomer, a disruptor given the name Pumpkin (Lola Fung), who formerly worked at a pretzel shop and enters this lair with suspicion. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English leger; akin to Old High German legar bed, Old English licgan to lie — more at lie

Verb

Scots lair mire

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for lair

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

Kids Definition

lair

noun

ˈla(ə)r, 

ˈle(ə)r

1

: the den or resting place of a wild animal

2

: refuge sense 1, hideaway