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foyer

foyer

45 3.9
A large entrance hall in a building like a hotel or theater where people wait
  • noun
  • /ˈfɔɪər/
translation icon : vestíbulo
  • So here is the grand foyer with this fabulous staircase.
  • upstairs foyer

You go to my shelf in the foyer.

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Examples

  • As guests entered the hotel, they were greeted by an impressive foyer adorned with luxurious decor.

  • From her spot in the foyer, she could see the living room and part of the den.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • So when you first walk in, you have this really wide foyer area.

  • We were in the foyer, talking.

  • Lunch is being set up in the foyer.

  • I said to meet me in the foyer.

  • Wait in the foyer while I go look for the main circuit breaker.

  • Sleeping on mats in the church foyer all night, they attend mass early on Sunday morning.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Between the base of the stairs and the top underground level, there is a foyer area with stone carved chairs where visitors might have rested.

  • We moved slowly across the foyer, boots scraping softly on the marble floor.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

lobby
vsfoyer
261 1.3

A large entrance area in a building where people wait

is more associated with hotels, theaters, or private homes rather than general buildings
hall
vsfoyer
27 1.0

An area by the main door where people meet or wait

is more specific to formal entrance areas in hotels, theaters, or homes
entryway
vsfoyer
18 2.6

A small area inside a building next to the front door where people enter

is larger and functions as a reception area rather than a simple passage
concourse
vsfoyer
16 5.5

A large open area in a station or airport where people walk and wait

is more for hotels and theaters, not vast public transit spaces
vestibule
vsfoyer
12 6.0

A small entrance hall next to a building's front door where people wait

is larger and more central, used as a main entrance area in larger buildings
anteroom
vsfoyer
5 6.5

A small room leading to a main room where people wait

is larger and serves as the main arrival or meeting area
entranceway
vsfoyer
5 3.5

A space at the front of a building where people enter

is a larger interior entrance area used for greeting and waiting
reception room
vsfoyer
4 3.2

A room in a house or hotel where visitors wait and the host meets them

is mainly an entrance space rather than a room for entertaining guests
entrance hall
vsfoyer
4 2.8

A large room just inside the main door where people enter and wait

is focused on buildings like hotels or theaters rather than any entrance area
antechamber
vsfoyer
4 8.2

A small room before a larger room where people wait

is typically larger and more public, used for receiving and circulation

How Big

atrium
21 6.1
concourse
16 5.5
lobby
261 1.3
foyer
45 3.9
vestibule
12 6.0
entryway
18 2.6
porch
426 1.0

Surface Forms

foyer singular
foyers plural

Etymology

Foyer comes from French, where it meant the 'hearth' or 'fireplace', and that idea comes from the old Latin word focus meaning 'hearth' or 'center'. So a foyer is like the building's 'hearth' — the central place where people meet when they come in.