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 hostage was then held in Village de Dieu, a seaside slum south of the capital that serves as the gang leader’s base of operations and a kidnapping lair. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026

The Peacock Lounge is part elegant speakeasy, part subterranean lair, hidden away from the rowdier crowds making bar runs in Savannah on a Saturday night. —Adam Kuehl, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026

Built into an old limestone quarry, the winery felt like a Bond villain’s secret lair—sleek, subterranean, and wildly impressive. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026

There is no cabal of pinkos sitting in a secret lair deciding to make Wikipedia a left-leaning entity. —Imogen West-Knights, The Dial, 10 Feb. 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