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old hovel

old hovel

7.4
A very small run-down house with broken walls and a damaged roof
  • noun
  • /oʊld ˈhɑvəl/
translation icon : choza vieja
  • They found shelter in an old hovel at the edge of the abandoned village.

Examples

  • The old hovel had a collapsed roof and shattered windows, bearing witness to many hard winters.

  • The old hovel stood at the end of the street.

  • After decades of abandonment, the old hovel was nearly swallowed by weeds and vines.

  • They discovered an old hovel hidden in the forest.

  • After years of living in an old hovel, she finally saved enough money for a new home.

  • The old hovel at the edge of the village was abandoned and falling apart.

  • Visitors were surprised to see that the charming neighborhood included an old hovel near the park.

Synonyms

hovel
vsold hovel
14 7.1

A small simple house that is dirty and not good to live in

focuses more on age and visible dilapidation rather than general dirtiness
old shanty
vsold hovel
7.2

A small old run-down house where poor people live

stresses visible age and neglect more than the other

Antonyms

327 3.4

A very large, impressive house often with many rooms and gardens

How Dilapidated

ruin
147 3.1
old hovel
7.4
shack
131 1.8
hovel
14 7.1
house
1.0

Surface Forms

old hovel singular
old hovels plural

Morphology

old + hovel

The meaning is transparently compositional: 'hovel' already denotes a poorly constructed, dilapidated dwelling and 'old' simply adds age. A B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer 'old hovel' as an aged, run-down small house, following a standard adjective + noun pattern common across languages.

Etymology

Old hovel creates a simple image: a hovel is a very small, rough shelter and old shows it is worn and falling apart. So, old hovel means 'a small, dilapidated house'.