cupboard
gb/kˈʌbɚd/ us/kˈʌbɚd/
A2
English
~ 8400
konyhaszekrény, beépített szekrény
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to put [something] in the cupboard
She opened the kitchen cupboard to grab a mug for her coffee.
Kinyitotta a konyhaszekrényt, hogy elővegyen egy bögrét a kávéjához.
We don’t have enough cupboard space for all these new pans.
Nincs elég helyünk a konyhaszekrényben ezeknek az új serpenyőknek.
Please put the sugar back in the top cupboard when you’re finished.
The plates are in the cupboard above the fridge.
He found an old photo album at the back of the bedroom cupboard.
Learner examples
The cups are in the cupboard.
A csészék a konyhaszekrényben vannak.
I put the rice in a small cupboard.
A rizst egy kis konyhaszekrénybe tettem.
We have a big cupboard for our plates and bowls.
There is no room in this cupboard for more food.
She keeps her shoes in a cupboard near the door.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse “cupboard”, “cabinet”, and “closet”. A cupboard usually has doors and shelves for dishes, food, or small things, especially in the kitchen. A closet is usually a larger space, often for clothes. Also, the letter “p” in “cupboard” is not pronounced (/ˈkʌbəd/).
Meaning
Furniture with shelves and doors
Collocations
kitchen cupboard
|cupboard door
|cupboard space
|built-in cupboard
|cupboard under the sink
|wall cupboard
Synonyms
cabinet (Very similar; often used for kitchen or bathroom storage units, slightly more technical or AmE in some uses.)
|
closet (More often a larger space for clothes, but in some varieties of English it can overlap with ‘cupboard’ for storage.)
Antonyms
open shelf (A storage surface without doors, the opposite of a closed storage space like a cupboard.)
Themes
home
|daily life
|food
|housing
|daily_life
|food_drink
Definition
A piece of furniture with shelves and doors where you keep food, plates, cups, or other things, often in the kitchen.
A piece of furniture or built-in unit with shelves and one or more doors, used for storing food, dishes, or other household items, especially in a kitchen.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
a [type] cupboard for [things]
He grabbed the vacuum cleaner from the broom cupboard in the hall.
Előkapta a porszívót az előszobai takarítószekrényből.
The towels are kept in the airing cupboard next to the bathroom.
A törölközőket a fürdőszoba melletti beépített szekrényben tartjuk.
They turned the cupboard under the stairs into a tiny office space.
She hides the birthday presents in a cupboard on the landing.
The cleaning supplies are all in a locked cupboard by the back door.
Learner examples
The coats are in a small cupboard near the door.
A kabátok az ajtó melletti kis beépített szekrényben vannak.
We keep the broom in a tall cupboard.
A seprűt egy magas beépített szekrényben tartjuk.
There is a cupboard under the stairs for boxes and bags.
She puts the clean towels in a cupboard in the hall.
The teacher has a cupboard in the classroom for books and paper.
Common mistake:
Some learners think a cupboard is only in the kitchen. In British English, “cupboard” can also mean a small built-in storage space in other parts of the house, for example a broom cupboard or an airing cupboard.
Meaning
Small built-in storage closet
Collocations
broom cupboard
|airing cupboard
|cupboard under the stairs
|storage cupboard
|linen cupboard
Synonyms
storage closet (Describes the same idea, especially in AmE; often sounds a bit more general and less tied to kitchen furniture.)
Antonyms
open storage (Refers to storage without doors or walls, the opposite of a closed, built-in cupboard.)
Themes
home
|daily life
|housing
|daily_life
Definition
A small, closed space in a wall or room where you keep things like brooms, towels, or clothes.
A small enclosed storage space built into a wall or room, often tall and narrow, used for keeping items such as cleaning equipment, clothes, or linens.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cupboard
IPA
GB/kˈʌbɚd/
US/kˈʌbɚd/
Syllables & stress
cup - board (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cup)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cupboard
- Plural: cupboards
Word family
Expressions
cupboard love
1/kˈʌbɚd lˈʌv/
idiom
informal
Affection to get a reward
Friendly or loving behavior that someone shows mainly because they want food, gifts, or another benefit, not because they truly care.
Examples
- The cat only sits on my lap at dinner time; it’s pure cupboard love.
- She accused the children of showing cupboard love when they hugged her just before asking for sweets.
- He wondered if it was real affection or just cupboard love because he always paid for everything.
skeleton in the cupboard
1/skˈɛlətən ˈɪn ðə kˈʌbɚd/
idiom
Hidden shameful family secret
An embarrassing or bad secret from the past that a person or family tries to keep hidden.
Examples
- Every family has at least one skeleton in the cupboard that nobody talks about.
- The politician insisted he had no skeletons in the cupboard that could damage his career.
- The documentary revealed several skeletons in the cupboard from the company’s early years.
the cupboard is bare
1/ðə kˈʌbɚd ˈɪz bˈɛɹ/
idiom
Almost no resources left
Used to say that there is very little or nothing left, especially money, food, or other supplies.
Examples
- After paying the rent, the cupboard is bare until next month.
- The club’s cupboard is bare, so they can’t afford any new players this season.
- We can’t hold another event right now; our sponsorship cupboard is completely bare.