baggage
gb/bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/ us/bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
B1
English
~ 5700
poggyász, érzelmi teher, lelki teher, terhelő múlt, negatív örökség, vén szatyor, vén banya, katonai málha, málha
NOUN
B1
1
poggyász
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s baggage; checked/hand/carry-on baggage
You can have one piece of hand baggage and one checked bag.
Egy kézipoggyászt és egy feladott poggyászt vihetsz magaddal.
My baggage was delayed, so I had to wait an hour at the airport.
Késett a poggyászom, ezért egy órát kellett várnom a repülőtéren.
Please do not leave your baggage unattended at any time.
They lost my baggage on the flight from New York to Paris.
The airline charged her extra for excess baggage.
Learner examples
I put my baggage on the airport scale.
Feltettem a poggyászomat a repülőtéri mérlegre.
His baggage is very heavy.
Nagyon nehéz a poggyásza.
She waits for her baggage at baggage claim.
We have too much baggage for this small car.
You can take one small baggage item on the plane.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat "baggage" as a regular countable noun and say *"three baggages"*. In standard English, "baggage" is usually uncountable: say "three bags" or "three pieces of baggage". Learners also confuse "baggage" and "luggage"; they are almost the same, but "baggage" is especially common in air-travel contexts and in American English.
Meaning
suitcases and bags for travel
Collocations
checked baggage
|carry-on baggage
|hand baggage
|excess baggage
|baggage claim
|baggage allowance
Synonyms
luggage (Very close in meaning; more common in British English, while "baggage" is especially common in airline and American English contexts.)
Themes
travel
|daily life
|transport
|daily_life
Definition
Bags and cases you take with you when you travel, especially by plane, bus, or train.
Bags, suitcases, and similar containers that a person takes with them when they travel.
NOUN
B2
2
lelki teher
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] has/carries [emotional] baggage
He brings a lot of emotional baggage into his relationships.
Rengeteg érzelmi terhet hoz magával a kapcsolataiba.
Therapy helped her unpack some of the baggage from her childhood.
A terápia segített neki feldolgozni a gyerekkorából hozott érzelmi terhek egy részét.
The divorce left him with serious baggage around trust.
She likes him, but she knows he has too much baggage from his last marriage.
We all carry some baggage from our past; the question is how we deal with it.
Learner examples
She has a lot of emotional baggage from her first marriage.
Sok érzelmi terhet hordoz magában az első házasságából.
He still carries baggage from his difficult childhood.
Még mindig cipel magában terheket a nehéz gyerekkorából.
Therapy can help you deal with your old baggage.
I do not want to bring my baggage into this new relationship.
Everyone has some baggage, and that is normal.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think of physical bags when they see "baggage" in this sense. Here it is metaphorical: it does not mean real bags. Do not say *"I put my baggage in the car"* when you talk about emotional problems; use it with verbs like "carry," "have," or "bring" and often with the adjective "emotional."
Meaning
emotional problems from the past
Collocations
emotional baggage
|carry a lot of baggage
|relationship baggage
|personal baggage
|psychological baggage
Synonyms
trauma ("Trauma" often refers to one very harmful event or injury, especially serious or medical; "baggage" is broader and more informal, and can include many smaller past problems that still affect someone.)
Antonyms
emotional freedom (Describes a state where someone does not feel limited or weighed down by past emotional problems, which is the opposite of having emotional baggage.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|psychology
|health
Definition
Bad feelings from past experiences that still hurt you and change how you act now.
Past emotional problems, experiences, or traumas that continue to affect a person's feelings and behavior.
NOUN
C1
3
terhelő múlt
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] comes with/has [a lot of] baggage
The candidate carries a lot of political baggage from his time in office.
A jelölt sok politikai terhet cipel magával a hivatali idejéből.
This brand has too much baggage after the recent scandal.
A közelmúltbeli botrány után túl sok negatívum kötődik ehhez a márkához.
The merger talks failed because each company came with its own legal baggage.
Hiring him would bring a lot of baggage to the team.
The policy still carries historical baggage from its colonial past.
Learner examples
The new boss has some political baggage from his last job.
Az új főnök hoz magával némi politikai terhet az előző munkahelyéről.
That company has a lot of baggage after the data leak.
Az adatszivárgás után sok negatívum kötődik ahhoz a céghez.
The project comes with financial baggage from earlier mistakes.
They did not want a leader with too much baggage.
This law has cultural baggage that many people dislike.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with physical travel bags and try to use travel verbs like "pack" or "carry on" literally. In this sense, "baggage" is abstract and used with verbs like "have," "carry," "bring," or "come with" to talk about reputation and history, especially in politics and business.
Meaning
harmful history or associations
Collocations
political baggage
|too much baggage
|legal baggage
|historical baggage
|cultural baggage
Synonyms
liability ("Liability" is more formal and often used in business or legal contexts; "baggage" is more informal and can refer to a mix of image, history, and problems.)
Antonyms
asset (An "asset" is something that helps or adds value, which contrasts with "baggage" as something that hurts or makes a person or thing less desirable.)
Themes
politics
|business
|reputation
|communication
Definition
Bad things from a person’s or group’s past that make other people feel unsure or unhappy about them now.
Negative history, associations, or responsibilities connected with a person, organization, or thing that make it less attractive or more difficult to accept.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
4
vén szatyor
C1
vén banya
C1
Usage pattern:
old/silly/nasty + baggage
He muttered something about the "silly old baggage" next door.
Valamit motyogott a szomszédban lakó „ostoba vén szatyorról”.
The character in the novel is described as a "miserable old baggage."
A regény szereplőjét „nyomorult vén szatyornak” írják le.
That kind of language, calling women "baggage," is now seen as sexist and rude.
Learner examples
The man in the story calls the woman a "silly old baggage."
A történetben a férfi „ostoba vén szatyornak” nevezi a nőt.
Today, people think the word "baggage" for a woman is rude.
Ma már sértőnek számít, ha egy nőt „vén szatyornak” neveznek.
You should not call a woman "baggage"; it is an insult.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this use is offensive and old-fashioned. It is best learned for understanding older books or films, not for active use. Avoid using "baggage" to describe a woman in modern speech.
Meaning
insulting term for a woman
Collocations
silly old baggage
|nasty old baggage
|miserable old baggage
Synonyms
hag (Also an insulting word for a woman, often suggesting she is old and unpleasant; both are strongly negative and should be avoided in polite speech.)
Themes
people
|insults
|communication
|relationships
Definition
A rude, old word for a woman, used as an insult.
An offensive, old-fashioned word for a woman, usually used to criticize or insult her.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
5
málha
B2
Usage pattern:
military/army baggage; baggage train
The general ordered the baggage to remain behind the front line.
A tábornok elrendelte, hogy a katonai málha maradjon az arcvonal mögött.
Enemy forces attacked the baggage train during the night.
Az ellenséges erők éjszaka megtámadták a málhát szállító oszlopot.
Most of the army's baggage was lost when the bridge collapsed.
Learner examples
In the old army, the baggage moved behind the soldiers.
A régi hadseregben a málha a katonák mögött haladt.
The soldiers protected the baggage train.
A katonák megvédték a málhát szállító oszlopot.
The river took away much of their baggage.
Common mistake:
Learners may not meet this meaning often and can usually understand it from context as a specialized historical or military use related to equipment and supplies.
Meaning
army’s transported equipment and supplies
Collocations
army baggage
|baggage train
|baggage wagons
Synonyms
supplies (A broader term for things an army needs; "baggage" here focuses on what is carried along with the troops, often including personal items.)
Themes
military
|history
|law
|travel
Definition
Equipment, supplies, and personal things that an army carries with it when it moves.
The portable equipment, supplies, and personal belongings of an army or military unit that are carried with it during movement.
Grammar
Dictionary form
baggage
IPA
GB/bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
US/bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
Syllables & stress
bag - gage (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (bag)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: baggage
- Plural: baggage
Word family
Expressions
baggage claim
1/bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ klˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
place to pick up checked bags
The place in an airport where you get your checked bags after a flight.
Examples
- I'll meet you at baggage claim after we land.
- We waited at baggage claim for half an hour.
- Your suitcase is probably still on the belt at baggage claim.
carry a lot of baggage
1/kˈɛɹi ə lˈɑt əv bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
informal
be heavily affected by past problems
To have many emotional or personal problems from the past that still affect you strongly.
Examples
- She carries a lot of baggage from her family life.
- He knows he carries emotional baggage and is trying to change.
- They both carry a lot of baggage into this relationship.
check your baggage at the door
1/t͡ʃˈɛk jˈʊɹ bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ ˈæt ðə dˈɔɹ/
idiom
informal
set aside issues when entering a situation
To put your personal problems, anger, or prejudices aside when you enter a place or start an activity, so they do not cause trouble there.
Examples
- We ask everyone to check their baggage at the door and focus on the task.
- Good leaders check their baggage at the door before important meetings.
- At group therapy, participants are encouraged to check their baggage at the door and be open.
checked baggage
1/t͡ʃˈɛkt bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
bags you give to the airline
Bags that you give to the airline before a flight so they travel in the plane’s hold, not with you in the cabin.
Examples
- Her checked baggage did not arrive with the flight.
- You must pay a fee for checked baggage on some airlines.
- The weight limit for checked baggage is 23 kilos.
come with baggage
1/kˈʌm wˈɪθ bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
informal
have past problems attached
To have emotional or other problems from the past that make a person or situation more difficult.
Examples
- He’s a great guy, but he comes with a lot of baggage.
- Any candidate for this job will come with some baggage.
- The project comes with baggage from earlier failures.
excess baggage
1/ˈɛksˌɛs bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
baggage over the allowed limit
Baggage that is heavier or more than the amount you are allowed to take without paying extra.
Examples
- The airline charged me for excess baggage.
- If you have excess baggage, you may need to pay a fee.
- We repacked our suitcases to avoid excess baggage.
hand baggage
1/hˈænd bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
small bags you carry onto a plane
Small bags you take with you into the airplane, not the bags you check in.
Examples
- Each passenger is allowed one piece of hand baggage.
- Please place your hand baggage in the overhead locker.
- Her hand baggage was too big for the cabin.
leave your baggage at the door
1/lˈiv jˈʊɹ bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ ˈæt ðə dˈɔɹ/
idiom
informal
not bring past problems into a situation
To decide not to let your past problems or feelings affect a new place, meeting, or relationship.
Examples
- In this workshop, please leave your baggage at the door.
- When you come to work, try to leave your baggage at the door.
- She told him to leave his baggage at the door and start fresh.
emotional baggage
1/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
informal
past negative feelings affecting now
Unresolved bad feelings from past experiences that still affect you today.
Examples
- He entered the relationship with a lot of emotional baggage from his divorce.
- It's important to deal with your emotional baggage before starting something new.
emotional baggage
2/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
past emotional problems affecting you now
Bad feelings and problems from your past that still hurt you and change how you act today.
Examples
- She has a lot of emotional baggage from her childhood.
- Before starting a new relationship, he wanted to deal with his emotional baggage.
- Therapy can help you work through emotional baggage.