tunnel
gb/tˈʌnəl/ us/tˈʌnəl/
B1
English
~ 6900
alagút, alagutat fúr, alagutat ás, járat, csatorna, kicsatornáz, kiment, átjátszik
NOUN
B1
1
alagút
A2
Usage pattern:
[something] goes through a tunnel
The train slowed as it entered the tunnel beneath the river.
A vonat lelassított, amikor behajtott a folyó alatti alagútba.
They are building a new road tunnel to reduce traffic in the city center.
Új közúti alagutat építenek, hogy csökkentsék a forgalmat a belvárosban.
The cyclists rode through a dark tunnel carved into the side of the mountain.
An accident in the tunnel caused long delays during the morning rush hour.
Learner examples
The car went into the long tunnel.
Az autó behajtott a hosszú alagútba.
We walked through a tunnel under the road.
Átsétáltunk egy alagúton az út alatt.
This train goes through a tunnel under the sea.
The tunnel was dark, so I used my phone light.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "tunnel" with "bridge". A tunnel is under or through something (a mountain, river, or road), while a bridge is over it. Another mistake is saying "The train passed the tunnel" when they mean it went inside; use "through the tunnel" in that case.
Meaning
Underground road, rail, or foot passage
Collocations
road tunnel
|railway tunnel
|mountain tunnel
|tunnel entrance
|tunnel boring machine
|undersea tunnel
Synonyms
underpass (Often for a short road or pedestrian way under another road; not always fully underground like a long tunnel.)
Antonyms
bridge (A structure that carries people or vehicles over something, while a tunnel carries them through or under it.)
Themes
transport
|construction
|geography
|transportation
|travel
Definition
A long way under the ground, usually for cars, trains, or people to go from one side of something to the other.
A long passage that is dug through or under the ground, especially for a road, railway, or pedestrians to pass through.
VERB
B2
2
alagutat fúr
B2
alagutat ás
B1
Usage pattern:
to tunnel under [something]
Engineers plan to tunnel under the river to build a new subway line.
A mérnökök azt tervezik, hogy alagutat fúrnak a folyó alatt egy új metróvonalhoz.
Rescue teams are tunneling through the debris to reach survivors.
A mentőcsapatok alagutat ásnak a törmeléken át, hogy elérjék a túlélőket.
The thieves tunneled into the bank vault from a nearby basement.
Moles have tunneled across the whole lawn, leaving small piles of soil everywhere.
Learner examples
They will tunnel under the city to make a new train line.
Alagutat fognak fúrni a város alatt, hogy új vasútvonalat építsenek.
The prisoners tried to tunnel out of the jail at night.
A rabok éjjel alagutat próbáltak ásni, hogy kijussanak a börtönből.
Small animals sometimes tunnel through the ground to build homes.
Workers are tunneling through the rock to connect the two towns.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "dig a tunnel under" and "tunnel under" in the same sentence, which is repetitive (e.g. "They dug a tunnel tunneling under the river"). Use either "dig a tunnel under the river" or "tunnel under the river."
Meaning
Dig or make an underground passage
Collocations
tunnel under the [river]
|tunnel through the [mountain]
|tunnel into the [bank]
|prisoners tunnelled out
|moles tunnel through the soil
Synonyms
burrow (Often used for animals digging into the ground; slightly less technical than "tunnel" when talking about engineering projects.)
|
excavate (More formal and technical; means to dig out earth or rock but does not always imply creating a long passage like a tunnel.)
Antonyms
block (To stop passage instead of creating one, for example by filling in an opening rather than digging it.)
Themes
construction
|nature
|crime
|work
|transportation
Definition
To make a long hole under or through something, like earth or rock, so that people, animals, or things can pass.
To dig or create a passage through or under something, especially the ground, by removing earth or rock.
NOUN
B2
3
járat
B1
Usage pattern:
a tunnel made by [an animal]
We found a rabbit tunnel running under the fence.
Találtunk egy nyúljáratot, amely a kerítés alatt vezetett át.
The dog kept digging after it smelled a tunnel made by moles.
A kutya tovább ásott, miután megérezte a vakondok által készített járat szagát.
The farmer flooded the field to collapse the vole tunnels.
Ants created a complex system of tunnels just below the surface.
Learner examples
There is a rabbit tunnel under our garden.
Van egy nyúljárat a kertünk alatt.
Moles make many tunnels in the ground.
A vakondok sok járatot készítenek a földben.
The dog found a tunnel and tried to catch the animal.
We saw small holes where the tunnels start.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "house" or "hole" when they mean the long passage an animal digs. "Hole" is just the opening, while "tunnel" or "burrow" is the long space under the ground.
Meaning
Underground passage made by animals
Collocations
rabbit tunnel
|mole tunnel
|tunnel system
|underground tunnel network
|animal tunnels in the yard
Synonyms
burrow (Very close in meaning; "burrow" is the more common general word for an animal's home or tunnel in the ground.)
Antonyms
surface (Refers to being above the ground in open space, the opposite of moving through an underground passage.)
Themes
nature
|animals
|environment
Definition
A long, narrow space in the ground that an animal makes when it digs.
A narrow underground passage created by an animal as it digs through the soil.
NOUN
B2
4
alagút
B1
Usage pattern:
[people] form a tunnel for [someone]
The team formed a tunnel with their raised arms for the captain to run through.
A csapat felemelt karjaiból alagutat formált, hogy a kapitány átfusson rajta.
Wedding guests held sparklers above their heads, creating a sparkling tunnel for the couple.
Az esküvői vendégek csillagszórókat tartottak a fejük fölé, ragyogó alagutat alkotva a pár számára.
Children lined up in pairs and made a tunnel for their classmates to crawl under.
Learner examples
The players made a tunnel with their arms.
A játékosok alagutat csináltak a karjukkal.
The children made a tunnel and their friends ran through it.
A gyerekek alagutat csináltak, a barátaik pedig átfutottak rajta.
People stood in two lines and formed a tunnel for the bride.
The fans held flags up to make a tunnel for the team.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "tunnel" always means something built in the ground. In sports or celebrations, it can also mean a short passage made by people or objects, usually just for fun or ceremony.
Meaning
Passage formed by bodies or objects
Collocations
formed a tunnel
|players' tunnel
|guard of honor tunnel
|run through the tunnel of fans
Synonyms
archway (A general word for a curved opening or structure; a "tunnel" in this sense is usually made of people or objects temporarily, not a permanent structure.)
Antonyms
wall (A wall blocks movement, while a tunnel in this sense invites people to pass through.)
Themes
sports
|celebrations
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A line of people or things that stand on two sides and touch above your head, making a short covered way to walk through.
A passageway formed when people or objects on each side lean or stretch toward each other overhead, creating a covered way to move through.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
a tunnel in [part of the body]
Pressure on the median nerve within the carpal tunnel can cause numbness in the hand.
A kéztőalagútban a középidegre nehezedő nyomás zsibbadást okozhat a kézben.
The surgeon explained that a narrow bony tunnel was compressing the nerve.
A sebész elmagyarázta, hogy egy szűk csontos csatorna nyomja az ideget.
Inflammation in the wrist can reduce space in the carpal tunnel.
Learner examples
She has pain in her hand because of a problem in the carpal tunnel.
Fáj a keze a kéztőalagútban lévő probléma miatt.
A nerve passes through a small tunnel in the wrist.
Egy ideg halad át a csuklóban lévő kis csatornán.
If the tunnel is too tight, the nerve is pressed and it hurts.
The doctor said the tunnel in his ankle was swollen.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "carpal tunnel" itself is the illness. The illness is usually called "carpal tunnel syndrome"; the "carpal tunnel" is the small passage in the wrist.
Meaning
Narrow passage inside the body
Collocations
carpal tunnel
|carpal tunnel syndrome
|tarsal tunnel
|narrowing of the tunnel
Synonyms
canal (A technical anatomical term for a channel in the body; often used in similar contexts but more formal and specialist.)
Antonyms
blockage (A condition where a passage is blocked, the opposite of a clear tunnel that nerves or blood can pass through.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|body
|science
Definition
A small, narrow space inside your body where a nerve, blood vessel, or tendon passes through.
In anatomy, a narrow passage within the body formed by bone, muscle, or tissue through which nerves, blood vessels, or tendons pass.
VERB
C2
FORMAL
6
Usage pattern:
to tunnel [money/assets] out of [a company/place]
Investigators allege that the executives tunneled millions of dollars out of the failing company.
A nyomozók szerint a vezetők több millió dollárt csatornáztak ki a csőd szélén álló cégből.
The report describes how shareholders were cheated when assets were tunneled to offshore entities.
A jelentés leírja, hogyan károsították meg a részvényeseket, amikor az eszközöket offshore cégekbe játszották át.
He was convicted of tunneling funds through a network of shell companies.
Learner examples
The manager tunneled money out of the company and hid it.
Az igazgató pénzt csatornázott ki a cégből, és elrejtette.
They tunneled company funds to their private accounts.
A cég pénzét a saját számláikra játszották át.
The court said the owner had tunneled assets abroad.
The new law tries to stop people from tunneling money in this way.
Common mistake:
Learners may misinterpret this sense as the physical act of digging because of the more common meaning of "tunnel." In business or legal news, "tunnel" can also be a metaphor for moving money secretly; context usually makes this clear.
Meaning
Transfer money or assets secretly
Collocations
tunnel funds out of the company
|tunnel assets abroad
|tunnel money through offshore accounts
Synonyms
siphon off (Common informal/formal term for secretly taking money from a system; does not always imply the same legal or corporate context as "tunnel" in financial writing.)
Antonyms
reimburse (To pay money back, which is the opposite direction of secretly removing money from a company or account.)
Themes
business
|law
|crime
|finance
Definition
To take money or property out of a company or account in a secret and often illegal way and move it somewhere else.
To move money or assets from a company or account to another place in a secret, dishonest, or illegal way.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tunnel
IPA
GB/tˈʌnəl/
US/tˈʌnəl/
Syllables & stress
tun - nel (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tun)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: tunnel
- Plural: tunnels
Verb
- Base: tunnel
- 3rd Person Singular: tunnels
- Present Participle: tunneling, tunnelling
- Past: tunneled, tunnelled
Word family
Forms
tunnels
noun
tunneling
verb
tunnelling
verb
tunneled
verb
tunnelled
verb
Related words
tunneler
noun
Expressions
carpal tunnel syndrome
1/kˈɑɹpəl tˈʌnəl sˈɪndɹˌoʊm/
fixed phrase
technical
Nerve problem in the wrist
A medical problem where a nerve in your wrist is pressed too hard, often from doing the same hand movement many times, causing pain or numbness in your hand.
Examples
- Typing for long hours without breaks can increase your risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.
- She wears a wrist brace to relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
- The doctor diagnosed him with carpal tunnel syndrome after months of wrist pain.
light at the end of the tunnel
3/lˈaɪt ˈæt ðə ˈɛnd əv ðə tˈʌnəl/
idiom
Sign that difficulty will soon end
A sign that a bad or difficult time will finish soon and things will get better.
Examples
- After months of treatment, she finally sees light at the end of the tunnel.
- The company still has problems, but the latest sales figures are a light at the end of the tunnel.
- It was a hard year, but there is now light at the end of the tunnel for the restaurant.
tunnel of love
5/tˈʌnəl əv lˈʌv/
fixed phrase
Romantic boat ride through a tunnel
A slow ride at some fairs or amusement parks where two people sit in a small boat that moves through a dark or covered water tunnel, usually meant to be romantic.
Examples
- They went on the tunnel of love at the old amusement park.
- The fair still has a classic tunnel of love ride from the 1950s.
tunnel vision
2/tˈʌnəl vˈɪʒən/
idiom
Overly narrow focus or attention
To only think about one thing or one small part of a situation, and not see other important things around it.
Examples
- The manager has tunnel vision and only cares about short-term profits.
- When studying for exams, try not to get tunnel vision and forget about your health.
- His desire to win gave him tunnel vision, and he ignored his friends' warnings.
wind tunnel
4/wˈɪnd tˈʌnəl/
fixed phrase
technical
Facility for testing in moving air
A long, closed space where strong wind is made by machines to test how cars, planes, or other things behave in moving air.
Examples
- Engineers tested the new car design in a wind tunnel to improve its aerodynamics.
- The aircraft model spent several days in the wind tunnel for safety checks.
- Wind tunnel experiments showed that the building could withstand strong storms.