dungeon

American  

[duhn-juhn] / ˈdʌn dʒən /

noun

1. a strong, dark prison or cell, usually underground, as in a medieval castle.

2. the keep or stronghold of a castle; donjon.

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dungeon British  

/ ˈdʌndʒən /

noun

1. a close prison cell, often underground

2. a variant of donjon

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Etymology

Origin of dungeon

1250–1300; Middle English dungeo ( u ) n, dongeoun, dungun < Middle French donjon < Vulgar Latin *domniōn- (stem of *domniō ) keep, mastery, syncopated variant of *dominiōn- dominion

Explanation

That dank, stone-walled underground prison where wretched prisoners were kept manacled in medieval days? That was a dungeon, otherwise known as the "keep," and most familiar to us today from a million video games and movies. In fact, the original meaning of dungeon was of something overground rather than underground, coming from the Old French term donjon, meaning the "great tower of a castle," and the underground meaning only came later. Rapunzel in the fairy tale was held captive in a tower rather than an underground cell and if she hadn't been, her long hair wouldn't have been much help in her escape.

Example Sentences

The show is part travelogue, part adventure quest with monsters, magic battles and dungeon exploration.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2025

The catacombs beneath a crumbling city have cracked wide open, revealing a vast, spiraling dungeon teeming with strange beasts and stranger plants.

From Salon • May 12, 2025

Through luck, Sam and Mike narrowly avoided placement in the dungeon as the unit had no capacity.

From Slate • Oct. 20, 2024

Not another cooking game, but instead a new take on a dungeon crawler where you can team up with your friends to survive in a twisted reality show competition.

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2024

Anya smiled, but then the memory of the creature in the dungeon snuffed her smile out.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• torture chamber