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Refuge
A shelter or protection from danger or hardship; a place offering safety or security.
noun💡
Imagine This
Imagine a hiker caught in a sudden storm who discovers a small cave. The cave becomes a warm refuge, shielding the hiker from the wind and rain until the danger passes.
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Sounds Like
REF-yooj
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Looks Like
Resembles 'refugee' in spelling; shares the Latin root fugere (to flee).
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Remember This
Refuge and refugee are related but distinct: refuge is the place of safety, while a refugee is a person seeking that safety. The root fug- (from Latin fugere, to flee) shows up in many words about fleeing, such as fugitive.
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Other Forms
refugesplural noun
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Connect With
shelter, sanctuary, haven, asylum, harbor
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Note
Use 'seek refuge' or 'take refuge' to describe the act of finding safety. Do not use 'refuge' as a verb. When talking about multiple safe places, use 'refuges'.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- During the flood, residents sought refuge in the town hall.
- The forest offered a quiet refuge from the city noise.
Synonyms
havensanctuaryshelterasylumharbor
Antonyms
dangerperilhazard
Etymology
From Old French refuge, from Latin refugium 'retreat, shelter', from re- 'back' + fugere 'to flee'.
Mnemonic
RE-FUGE: to flee back to safety; a refuge is the place you run to when danger strikes.
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Lugubrious
adjectiveMournful or gloomy, often to an exaggerated or affected degree.
Acknowledge
verbTo admit that something is true or real; to recognize the existence, validity, or status of something or someone; and to confirm receipt or awareness of something.
Asperity
nounThe roughness or unevenness of a surface; harshness or sharpness of temper or manner.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Harbor
verbTo shelter or provide refuge for someone; to conceal or protect; to hold in the mind (as in harboring a thought, feeling, or grievance).
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
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