jungle

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   A thick, tangled tropical forest full of tall trees, vines, and dense undergrowth.

   Grammar: Can be used with 'the' or 'a' when referring to a particular area, or without an article when talking about this type of place in general.

   Patterns

   • in the jungle
   • a jungle
   • the jungle

   Many rare birds live in the jungle.

   We hiked through the jungle for three days.

   The jungle is home to thousands of plant species.

2. 2nounsingularfigurative

   A confusing or dangerous place where people compete fiercely and rules are unclear.

   Grammar: Used figuratively, often with 'the' and followed by 'of' to show what area is meant.

   Patterns

   • the jungle of something
   • a jungle out there

   The business world can be a jungle.

   It's a jungle out there in the job market.

3. 3nounsingularfigurative

   A large collection of things that is hard to move through or understand.

   Grammar: Often used with 'of' to describe a messy or confusing mass.

   Patterns

   • a jungle of something

   The city is a jungle of concrete and traffic.

   We had to cut through a jungle of paperwork.

Word forms

Common combinations

deep in the jungle

They got lost deep in the jungle.

jungle canopy

Sunlight barely reaches the forest floor under the jungle canopy.

jungle trek

We booked a jungle trek for our holiday.

concrete jungle

He grew up in a concrete jungle with no parks nearby.

Synonyms and how they differ

rainforest

A rainforest is a specific type of dense tropical forest with very high rainfall; jungle is a more general and everyday word.

wilderness

Wilderness means any wild, uncultivated area, not necessarily tropical or dense.

Word family

jungly adjective

Covered with dense, tangled vegetation like a jungle.

Commonly confused: jungle or forest?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “jungle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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