Synonyms for jail
- noun
- verb
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Prison — A place or institution for the confinement of persons held against their will in lawful custody or detention…
prison, jailhouse, pokey, clink, slammer slang, jug slang, calaboose rare US AU, hoosegow slang US
2. Penitentiary
penitentiary, prison camp, house of detention, workhouse, penal colony, stockade, guardhouse, house of correction, pen, compound, big house slang, bridewell dated IE
Other
brig US, dungeon, nick, toll booth, hole, borstal, chokey UK, lockup slang, can slang, stir slang
Verb
1. Incarcerate — to imprison, incarcerate, enjail
incarcerate, imprison, put away, remand, lag, bastille, immure rare, enjail rare
Other
engaol dated UK
Definitions
- n. 1
A place or institution for the confinement of persons held against their will in lawful custody or detention, especially (in US usage) a place where people are held for minor offenses or with reference to some future judicial proceeding.
He was sent to jail for theft.
- n. 2
Confinement in a jail.
- v. 1
To imprison, incarcerate, enjail.
Related words
Example sentences
- prison I hear he was released after five years in prison.
- jailhouse Tom's favorite Elvis Presley song is "Jailhouse Rock."
- clink When the knees sway, it is the feet that clink.
- pokey Tom spent all night in the pokey.
- penitentiary Tom was imprisoned for life at a state penitentiary.
By length
- 3 letters
- can1, pen1, lag1, jug1
- 4 letters
- hole1, nick1, stir1, brig1
- 5 letters
- clink1, pokey2
- 6 letters
- prison2, remand2, lockup2, chokey, immure, enjail, engaol
- 7 letters
- dungeon2, slammer2, borstal
- 8 letters
- compound2, bastille2, imprison3, stockade2, hoosegow
- 9 letters
- workhouse, jailhouse2, bridewell, calaboose
- 10 letters
- guardhouse
- 11 letters
- incarcerate4
- 12 letters
- penitentiary5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (pokey2 = 2 syllables).