Meaning & use
veranda
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Meaning
nouncountable
A covered, open-sided platform along the outside of a house, where people can sit in the shade.
Grammar: Countable: a wide veranda, two verandas.
Patterns
- on the veranda
- a veranda around something
We drank iced tea on the veranda as the sun went down.
A wide veranda runs along the front of the old farmhouse.
The cat slept on a cushion in the shade of the veranda.
Word forms
| plural | verandas |
|---|
Common combinations
- on the veranda
- They had breakfast on the veranda every morning.
- wraparound veranda
- The cottage has a wraparound veranda with a view of the lake.
- shady veranda
- A shady veranda kept the house cool in summer.
- screened veranda
- We sat on the screened veranda to avoid mosquitoes.
- veranda railing
- She leaned against the veranda railing and waved.
Synonyms and how they differ
- porch
- Porch is the usual American word, and often means a smaller covered entrance, while veranda suggests a wider, longer area.
- terrace
- A terrace is typically an open paved area that may have no roof, which a veranda always has.
- patio
- A patio is a paved area at ground level beside the house and is usually not roofed.
- deck
- A deck is a raised wooden platform that may be open to the sky, unlike a roofed veranda.
Word family
- verandah noun
- a British and Australian spelling variant
Commonly confused: veranda or balcony?
veranda vs balcony
A balcony sticks out from an upper floor, whereas a veranda sits at ground level and runs along the house.
Practice
Which structure is a roofed, open-sided space along the side of a house at ground level?
Choose one answer.
A veranda is a covered sitting area at ground level. A balcony projects from an upper floor, so it is the tempting wrong answer.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “veranda”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.