pilgrim
gb/pˈɪlɡɹɪm/ us/pˈɪlɡɹɪm/
B1
English
~ 9400
zarándok, zarándok atya, útkereső, zöldfülű, jövevény, újonc
NOUN
B1
1
zarándok
B2
Usage pattern:
[a pilgrim] to [a holy place]
Thousands of pilgrims arrive in the city each year to visit the famous shrine.
Évente zarándokok ezrei érkeznek a városba, hogy felkeressék a híres kegyhelyet.
During the festival, the roads were crowded with pilgrims walking toward the temple.
Az ünnep idején az utak zsúfolásig megteltek a templom felé gyalogló zarándokokkal.
Each pilgrim carried a small bag and a bottle of water for the long journey to the holy site.
The government built new shelters to protect pilgrims from the heat.
As a young man he went as a pilgrim to Jerusalem to deepen his faith.
Learner examples
Many pilgrims walk to this church every summer.
Minden nyáron sok zarándok gyalog megy ehhez a templomhoz.
The city is full of pilgrims during the holy week.
A nagyhéten tele van a város zarándokokkal.
Each pilgrim brings food and water for the long trip.
We met a pilgrim who was going to a famous temple.
The road was busy with pilgrims in white clothes.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "pilgrim" when they mean "tourist". A pilgrim travels mainly for religious reasons, not for fun or general sightseeing. Another common mistake is to say *"make a pilgrim"*; the correct noun for the journey is "pilgrimage", as in "make a pilgrimage".
Meaning
person visiting a holy place
Collocations
religious pilgrim
|Muslim pilgrims
|Christian pilgrims
|pilgrim route
|pilgrim hostel
|pilgrim destination
Synonyms
religious traveler (More general; does not clearly show that the travel is to a holy place.)
|
devotee (Emphasizes strong religious feeling rather than the act of travel.)
Antonyms
tourist (Travels mainly for pleasure or interest, not for religious devotion.)
Themes
religion
|travel
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who travels to a holy place because of their religion.
A person who travels to a place that is holy or special in their religion as an act of religious devotion.
NOUN
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[the Pilgrims] of [Plymouth]
Children in the United States often learn about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving at school.
Az Egyesült Államokban a gyerekek az iskolában gyakran tanulnak a zarándok atyákról és az első hálaadásról.
The Pilgrims left England to find a place where they could practice their religion freely.
A zarándok atyák azért hagyták el Angliát, hogy olyan helyet találjanak, ahol szabadon gyakorolhatják a vallásukat.
A museum near the harbor tells the story of the Pilgrims' voyage on the Mayflower.
Many Americans trace their family history back to the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony.
The agreement between the Pilgrims and the local tribe shaped the early years of the settlement.
Learner examples
The Pilgrims came to America on a ship called the Mayflower.
A zarándok atyák a Mayflower nevű hajón érkeztek Amerikába.
The Pilgrims started a new town called Plymouth.
A zarándok atyák Plymouth néven új települést alapítottak.
In history class, we read about the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims left England because of religious problems.
Many books for children show pictures of the Pilgrims in black and white clothes.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget to capitalize this meaning and write *"the pilgrims"* when referring to the historical group. When it refers to the specific English settlers in 1620, it is normally capitalized as "the Pilgrims" or "the Pilgrim Fathers".
Meaning
early English settler in America
Collocations
the Pilgrims
|Pilgrim Fathers
|Pilgrim settlement
|Pilgrim colony
|Pilgrim history
|Pilgrim leader
Synonyms
settler (General word for someone who goes to live in a new place; does not specify the 1620 Plymouth group.)
|
colonist (Focuses on living in a colony; not limited to the specific group called the Pilgrims.)
Antonyms
indigenous people (Refers to the original inhabitants of the land, in contrast to the arriving Pilgrim settlers.)
Themes
history
|culture
|politics
|travel
|religion
Definition
One of the English people called the Pilgrims who came to North America on the Mayflower in 1620.
One of the English Protestants, often called the Pilgrims or Pilgrim Fathers, who sailed on the Mayflower and founded a colony at Plymouth in New England in 1620.
NOUN
B2
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a pilgrim in [life/faith]
He saw himself as a pilgrim, moving from place to place in search of wisdom.
Zarándoknak látta magát, aki helyről helyre járva a bölcsességet keresi.
In the poem, the narrator speaks to a weary pilgrim who has lost his way in life.
A versben az elbeszélő egy megfáradt zarándokhoz szól, aki eltévedt az életben.
The book follows a young pilgrim on her inner journey from doubt to faith.
Artists are often described as pilgrims of the imagination, always exploring new paths.
She wrote in her diary that every human being is a pilgrim passing through this world.
Learner examples
In this story, the main character is a pilgrim looking for truth.
Ebben a történetben a főszereplő olyan útkereső, aki az igazságot keresi.
The writer calls each of us a pilgrim on the road of life.
Az író mindannyiunkat zarándoknak nevez az élet útján.
He feels like a pilgrim, always moving and always learning.
The singer says she is a pilgrim on a long, spiritual journey.
The movie shows a young man as a pilgrim in a strange city.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that this sense is usually literary or poetic. In everyday conversation, "pilgrim" is normally used for someone traveling to a religious place, not simply for anyone who is changing or growing.
Meaning
person on a spiritual journey
Collocations
spiritual pilgrim
|a lonely pilgrim
|pilgrim soul
|pilgrim on a journey
|pilgrim in search of meaning
Synonyms
seeker (Stresses the act of looking for truth or meaning, without the image of a journey.)
|
wanderer (Focuses more on moving without a fixed home or goal, and is less strongly spiritual.)
Antonyms
settled person (Suggests someone who is not searching or changing, in contrast to a pilgrim who is on a journey.)
Themes
religion
|philosophy
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who is on a long, often difficult journey in life, especially a journey to find spiritual truth or meaning.
A person considered as traveling through life, especially in a long or difficult search for spiritual understanding or deeper meaning.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
[someone] calls [someone] a pilgrim
In the movie, the sheriff looks at the stranger and says, "You lost, pilgrim?"
A filmben a seriff ránéz az idegenre, és azt mondja: „Eltévedtél, zöldfülű?”
They treated him like a pilgrim who knew nothing about life in a small town.
Úgy bántak vele, mint egy zöldfülűvel, aki semmit sem tud a kisvárosi életről.
The veteran players joked with the new pilgrim in the team locker room.
You can always spot a pilgrim here by the way they dress.
He may look like a pilgrim now, but he’ll learn the rules quickly.
Learner examples
In this old Western film, a cowboy calls the new man "pilgrim."
Ebben a régi westernfilmben egy cowboy „zöldfülűnek” nevezi az új embert.
The local people saw her as a pilgrim from the big city.
A helyiek nagyvárosi zöldfülűnek tartották.
They laughed and said, "You are a pilgrim here; you know nothing yet."
He felt like a pilgrim on his first day at the new job.
The coach called the young player a pilgrim because he was new.
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this sense and think it always means a religious traveler. When it is used in Western movies or joking speech, it usually means a newcomer or someone without experience, and it can sound old-fashioned or humorous.
Meaning
newcomer or inexperienced person
Collocations
a real pilgrim
|you, pilgrim
|city pilgrim
|young pilgrim
Synonyms
newcomer (Neutral and common; lacks the Western or humorous flavor of "pilgrim" in this sense.)
|
greenhorn (Informal and slightly old-fashioned; strongly emphasizes lack of experience.)
Antonyms
old-timer (Informal word for someone who has been in a place or group for a long time.)
Themes
daily life
|slang
|culture
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
An informal word, especially in old American films, used for a person who is new or does not know much about a place or way of life.
In some mainly American, often old-fashioned or humorous speech, a way of addressing or describing someone as a newcomer or inexperienced person in a place or situation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pilgrim
IPA
GB/pˈɪlɡɹɪm/
US/pˈɪlɡɹɪm/
Syllables & stress
pil - grim (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pil)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pilgrim
- Plural: pilgrims
Word family
Forms
pilgrims
noun
Core family
pilgrimage
noun B2
Expressions
Pilgrim Fathers
1/pˈɪlɡɹɪm fˈɑðɚz/
fixed phrase
early English founders of Plymouth
The group of English Pilgrims who started the Plymouth Colony in North America in 1620.
Examples
- Schoolchildren often learn that the Pilgrim Fathers came to America seeking religious freedom.
- The museum has a special exhibition about the lives of the Pilgrim Fathers.
- Many history books discuss how the Pilgrim Fathers influenced later American traditions.