lion

noun

li·​on ˈlī-ən 

plural lions

1

a

or plural lion : a large heavily built social cat (Panthera leo) of open or rocky areas chiefly of sub-Saharan Africa though once widely distributed throughout Africa and southern Asia that has a tawny body with a tufted tail and a shaggy blackish or dark brown mane in the male

b

: any of several large wildcats

especially : cougar sense 1

c

Lion : leo

2

a

: a person felt to resemble a lion (as in courage or ferocity)

b

: a person of outstanding interest or importance

a literary lion

3

Lion [Lions (club)] : a member of a major national and international service club

lionlike

ˈlī-ən-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms of lion

• magnate
• tycoon
• king
• prince
• lord
• baron
• star
• czar
• monarch

Examples of lion in a Sentence

the roar of the lion

He was a literary lion among the writers of his time.

Recent Examples on the Web

That set the stage for a strange wild-card game against Philadelphia in which the Eagles built a 51-7 lead and held on despite the Lions scoring 30 points down the stretch. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

This news is telling, considering the fact that Canales told reporters Friday that Reed would only be elevated if Coker — who’s been managing a quad injury since hurting himself against the Browns on Sunday — couldn’t go against the Lions. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026

Glenn said Sunday in Detroit, after a loss to the Lions that left the Jets 1-2. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2026

One of Stallone's earliest gigs was cleaning the lion cages at Central Park Zoo. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lioun, from Anglo-French leun, lion, from Latin leon-, leo, from Greek leōn

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing lion

• ant lion
• aphid lion
• California sea lion
• golden lion tamarin
• lion's den
• lion's mane
• lion's mane mushroom
• lion's share
• mountain lion
• sea lion

Rhymes for lion

• amphitryon
• dandelion
• herodian
• hawaiian
• ixion
• mauryan
• orion
• procyon
• visayan
• heian
• ion
• mayan

Kids Definition

lion

noun

li·​on ˈlī-ən 

plural lion or lions

: a large flesh-eating mammal of the cat family that has a brownish buff coat, a tufted tail, and in the male a shaggy mane and that lives in open or rocky areas of Africa and formerly southern Asia

lionlike

-ˌlīk 

adjective