jungle
gb/d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl/ us/d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl/
B1
English
~ 8000
dzsungel, jungle
NOUN
B1
1
dzsungel
A2
Usage pattern:
in the jungle
The explorers spent three days hiking through the jungle.
A felfedezők három napig túráztak a dzsungelben.
Many rare species of birds can only be found in the jungle.
Sok ritka madárfaj csak a dzsungelben található meg.
They built a small camp deep in the jungle by the river.
The movie was filmed on location in the Amazon jungle.
After the storm, reaching the village meant crossing thick jungle on foot.
Learner examples
Monkeys live in the jungle.
A majmok a dzsungelben élnek.
We walked through the jungle to see the waterfall.
A dzsungelen keresztül mentünk, hogy megnézzük a vízesést.
There are many green plants in the jungle.
The jungle is hot, wet, and full of trees.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use “forest” and “jungle” as if they were exactly the same. A jungle is usually in a hot, tropical place and is very thick with plants, while a forest can be in many climates and is not always tropical.
Meaning
dense tropical rainforest
Collocations
dense jungle
|tropical jungle
|rainforest jungle
|deep in the jungle
|jungle animals
|jungle trek
Synonyms
rainforest (Very close in meaning; often used for large tropical forests, sometimes with more focus on climate and conservation.)
|
forest (More general and not always tropical or as dense as a jungle.)
Antonyms
desert (A region with very little vegetation and rainfall, the opposite of a wet, plant-filled jungle.)
Themes
nature
|geography
|travel
|animals
Definition
A very thick forest in a hot and wet place, with many trees, plants, and wild animals.
A dense forest in a hot, wet region, with thick vegetation and many wild animals, often difficult to move through.
NOUN
B2
2
dzsungel
B2
Usage pattern:
a jungle of [things]
The back of the TV was a jungle of wires and cables.
A tévé mögött vezetékek és kábelek dzsungele volt.
New employees have to find their way through a jungle of rules and regulations.
Az új alkalmazottaknak el kell igazodniuk a szabályok és előírások dzsungelében.
Trying to start a business here means entering a legal jungle.
The report helps readers navigate the jungle of online information about health.
He got lost in the jungle of technical terms in the contract.
Learner examples
The desk was a jungle of papers.
Az íróasztalt papírok dzsungele borította.
This form is part of a jungle of office rules.
Ez az űrlap az irodai szabályok dzsungelének része.
Her computer bag is a jungle of cables and chargers.
I feel lost in the jungle of new information at my job.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this use always means a physical place like a real forest. In this sense, “jungle” can also be used for abstract things, like a jungle of laws, rules, or information.
Meaning
confusing mass or system
Collocations
a jungle of paperwork
|a jungle of wires
|a jungle of rules
|legal jungle
|bureaucratic jungle
|a jungle of information
Synonyms
maze (Focuses on being confusing and hard to find a way through, not always on being large or crowded.)
Antonyms
order (A situation where things are organized and easy to understand, the opposite of a confusing jungle.)
Themes
work
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A big, mixed, and confusing group of things that is hard to move in or hard to understand.
A very complex and confusing collection or system of things that is hard to move through or understand.
NOUN
B2
3
dzsungel
B2
Usage pattern:
[field] is a jungle
For young lawyers, the corporate world can feel like a jungle.
A fiatal ügyvédek számára a vállalati világ olyan lehet, mint egy dzsungel.
Many migrants arrive in the city only to discover an urban jungle of crime and corruption.
Sok migráns úgy érkezik a városba, hogy aztán a bűnözés és a korrupció városi dzsungelével találja szemben magát.
Without strong regulations, the housing market quickly turned into a jungle.
He grew up in a jungle of gangs and street violence.
Some people love the startup jungle, but others find it too risky.
Learner examples
The big city felt like a jungle to her.
A nagyváros olyan volt számára, mint egy dzsungel.
Modern business is a jungle, and only the strong win.
A modern üzleti világ dzsungel, és csak az erősek győznek.
Without clear rules, the market became a jungle.
He left the political jungle to live a quiet life.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the “jungle of paperwork” sense, which focuses on confusion and complexity. In this sense, the focus is on danger, lack of rules, and hard competition between people.
Meaning
harsh, lawless environment
Collocations
corporate jungle
|political jungle
|the urban jungle
|the dating jungle
|survive in the jungle
|escape the jungle
Synonyms
dog-eat-dog world (Informal phrase that strongly emphasizes ruthless competition between people.)
Antonyms
level playing field (A situation where rules are fair and everyone has the same chance, the opposite of a jungle with no fair rules.)
Themes
business
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A place or situation that feels wild and without rules, where strong or hard people win and weak people lose.
A place or situation that feels wild, dangerous, or without clear rules, where only the strongest or most aggressive people succeed.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
jungle
C1
Usage pattern:
listen to jungle
The DJ played an hour of classic jungle at the end of his set.
A DJ a szettje végén egy órán át klasszikus jungle-t játszott.
She prefers old-school jungle to modern drum and bass.
Jobban szereti az old-school jungle-t, mint a modern drum and bass-t.
That club is famous for its late-night jungle nights.
He started producing jungle tracks in his bedroom as a teenager.
Learner examples
The DJ played loud jungle in the club.
A DJ hangos jungle-t játszott a klubban.
My brother loves jungle and listens to it every day.
A testvérem imádja a jungle-t, és mindennap azt hallgatja.
They danced all night to fast jungle music.
Common mistake:
Learners may think “jungle music” means music from tropical forests. In this sense, it is the name of an electronic music style, not music about the jungle.
Meaning
fast breakbeat dance music genre
Collocations
jungle music
|jungle DJ
|jungle track
|jungle and drum-and-bass
|old-school jungle
|jungle scene
Synonyms
drum and bass (A closely related genre; sometimes used interchangeably, though many fans see jungle as an earlier or slightly different style.)
Antonyms
ballad (A slow, often emotional song, which contrasts with the fast, rhythmic style of jungle.)
Themes
music
|culture
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A type of very fast electronic dance music with quick drum sounds and loud bass, popular in clubs and raves.
A style of very fast electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s, characterized by rapid breakbeats, complex rhythms, and heavy basslines.
Grammar
Dictionary form
jungle
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl/
US/d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl/
Syllables & stress
jungle (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (jungle)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: jungle
- Plural: jungle, jungles
Word family
Forms
jungles
noun
Related words
jungly
adjective
Expressions
it's a jungle out there
1/ˈɪts ə d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl ˈaʊt ðˈɛɹ/
idiom
informal
world is dangerous and wild
Used to say that life or a situation is very hard, dangerous, or competitive.
Examples
- Be careful when you start your first job; it's a jungle out there.
- With prices going up so fast, it's a jungle out there for young families.
- Dating apps can be fun, but it's a jungle out there.
jungle gym
1/d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl d͡ʒˈɪm/
fixed phrase
playground climbing structure
A metal or wooden frame in a playground that children climb on.
Examples
- The kids spent an hour climbing on the jungle gym.
- She fell off the jungle gym and scraped her knee.
- There’s a slide, swings, and a big jungle gym in the park.
jungle juice
1/d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl d͡ʒˈus/
fixed phrase
slang
very strong mixed alcoholic drink
A very strong mixed drink with alcohol and fruit juice, often made in a big container at parties.
Examples
- They served homemade jungle juice at the college party.
- Be careful with the jungle juice; you can’t taste how strong it is.
- Someone brought a huge bowl of jungle juice to the barbecue.
law of the jungle
1/lˈɔ əv ðə d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl/
idiom
only the strongest survive rule
The idea that, when there are no fair rules, strong and hard people win and weak people lose.
Examples
- Without government controls, business can follow the law of the jungle.
- In that prison camp, the law of the jungle decided who ate and who went hungry.
- Some fear that removing regulations will bring back the law of the jungle in the workplace.
urban jungle
1/ˈɚbən d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl/
fixed phrase
crowded stressful city environment
A big city that feels crowded, noisy, and hard or stressful to live in.
Examples
- After a week in the mountains, returning to the urban jungle was a shock.
- Many people dream of escaping the urban jungle for a quieter life.
- The film shows how children try to survive in the urban jungle.
welcome to the jungle
1/wˈɛlkəm tə ðə d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl/
idiom
informal
entering a harsh or wild world
Said, often in a joking way, when someone starts a new, hard, or wild situation.
Examples
- "First day in sales? Welcome to the jungle," his boss laughed.
- When we arrived at the busy market, our guide said, "Welcome to the jungle."
- After seeing the chaotic office, she smiled and whispered, "Welcome to the jungle."
concrete jungle
2/kˈɑŋkɹit d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl/
idiom
city of concrete buildings
A city area with many big buildings and almost no trees or green places, often seen as ugly or hard to live in.
Examples
- He grew up in a concrete jungle with hardly any parks.
- Tourists are often surprised by how much green space there is in what looks like a concrete jungle from above.
- She misses the trees and hates living in a concrete jungle.
concrete jungle
3/kˈɑŋkɹit d͡ʒˈʌŋɡəl/
idiom
informal
Crowded urban area
A city area with many buildings and very few trees or plants.
Examples
- He moved from a small town to the concrete jungle of New York City.
- Some people love living in a concrete jungle; others find it stressful.