hovel

[ huhv-uhl, hov- ]

noun

1. a small, very humble dwelling house; a wretched hut.
2. any dirty, disorganized dwelling.
3. an open shed, as for sheltering cattle or tools.

verb (used with object)

, hov·eled, hov·el·ing or (especially British) hov·elled, hov·el·ling.

1. to shelter or lodge as in a hovel.

hovel

/ ˈhʌvəl; ˈhɒv- /

noun

1. a ramshackle dwelling place
2. an open shed for livestock, carts, etc
3. the conical building enclosing a kiln

verb

1. to shelter or be sheltered in a hovel

Word History and Origins

Origin of hovel¹

1375–1425; late Middle English hovell, of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of hovel¹

C15: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

As for what was built at Cinecitta, two favorite sets for Gropman were Tom’s New York hovel and his well-appointed, furnished Rome apartment.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s designed like a dark little hovel. Who would want to live like that?”

From Los Angeles Times

Eventually they squeezed into a hovel before being discovered by a turncoat cabinet member.

From Salon

The Sims 4 is more immersive and finely drawn, visually, than the original was, but it’s also more involved: It took me a whole afternoon to create my first Sim and set her up in her “hovel.”

From Slate

“It was like Travis Bickle’s apartment, but with no windows,” moaned Aster, 36, going off on a recent video call about his “total hovel” of a pandemic lockdown.

From New York Times

Related Words

• cottage
• hut
• lean-to
• shack
• shanty