wall
gb/wˈɔl/ us/wˈɔl/
A1
English
~ 700
fal, akadály, fallal leválaszt, fallal elzár, fallal körülvesz
NOUN
A1
1
fal
A1
Usage pattern:
a [material] wall
The garden is surrounded by a high brick wall.
A kertet magas téglafal veszi körül.
He leaned against the wall and sighed.
Nekidőlt a falnak, és sóhajtott.
They built a wall to keep the animals out.
The castle walls are centuries old.
I hung the picture on the living room wall.
Learner examples
The wall is very high.
A fal nagyon magas.
There is a picture on the wall.
Egy kép van a falon.
We painted the wall blue.
A wall is around the garden.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'wall' with 'fence'; fences are not solid and are often made of wood or metal bars.
Meaning
Vertical barrier or enclosure
Collocations
brick wall
|stone wall
|climb a wall
|paint a wall
|high wall
Synonyms
barrier (More general; can refer to anything blocking passage, not just solid structures.)
Antonyms
opening (Indicates a space without obstruction, the opposite of a solid wall.)
Themes
architecture
|construction
|daily life
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A tall, solid structure that separates or surrounds an area or building.
A continuous upright structure of stone, brick, or other material that encloses or divides an area of land or a building.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
a wall of [emotion/attitude]
Negotiations came up against a wall of resistance.
A tárgyalások az ellenállás falába ütköztek.
I felt like I hit a wall with my studies.
Úgy éreztem, falba ütköztem a tanulmányaimban.
There was a wall of silence after the question.
Learner examples
I hit a wall in my work.
Falba ütköztem a munkámban.
There is a wall between the two teams.
Fal van a két csapat között.
We need to break down this wall of fear.
Common mistake:
Learners may take figurative uses literally and misunderstand that no actual physical wall exists.
Meaning
Figurative barrier to progress
Collocations
hit a wall
|a wall of silence
|emotional wall
Synonyms
obstacle (General term for something that blocks progress; less metaphorical than 'wall' in emotional contexts.)
Antonyms
breakthrough (A sudden success or progress after difficulty, removing the figurative 'wall'.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Something that stops people from understanding each other or making progress.
A situation or feeling that prevents progress, understanding, or communication between people or groups.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
to wall [something] in/off
They walled off part of the garden for privacy.
A kert egy részét fallal leválasztották, hogy legyen egy kis magánszférájuk.
The city was walled in for protection.
A várost védelem céljából fallal vették körül.
He walled up the old doorway.
Learner examples
They will wall off the small room.
Fallal fogják leválasztani a kis szobát.
The town was walled in many years ago.
A várost sok évvel ezelőtt fallal vették körül.
We walled up the window.
Common mistake:
Learners might forget that 'wall' as a verb often needs a particle like 'in', 'off', or 'up'.
Meaning
To enclose or block using walls
Collocations
wall off
|wall in
Synonyms
enclose (General term for surrounding something; may use fences, walls, or other means.)
Antonyms
open up (To remove barriers so an area is accessible.)
Themes
construction
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To put walls around something to close it in or block it off.
To build or use a wall to enclose, separate, or block off an area or object.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wall
IPA
GB/wˈɔl/
US/wˈɔl/
Syllables & stress
wall (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (wall)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wall
- Plural: walls
Verb
- Base: wall
- 3rd Person Singular: walls
- Present Participle: walling
- Past: walled
Word family
Expressions
a fly on the wall
1/ə flˈaɪ ˈɔn ðə wˈɔl/
idiom
Unnoticed observer of events
Someone who watches or listens to something without being noticed.
Examples
- I wish I could be a fly on the wall during their meeting.
- Reporters want to be flies on the wall in such negotiations.
drive someone up the wall
1/dɹˈaɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈʌp ðə wˈɔl/
idiom
informal
Greatly annoy someone
To make someone very annoyed or angry.
Examples
- His constant humming is driving me up the wall.
- The noise from the street is driving her up the wall.
go to the wall
1/ɡˈoʊ tə ðə wˈɔl/
idiom
Suffer defeat or ruin
To fail completely, especially in business or competition.
Examples
- Many small shops went to the wall during the recession.
- The company went to the wall after losing its biggest client.
hit a wall
1/hˈɪt ə wˈɔl/
idiom
Suddenly stop progressing
To be unable to continue because something has become too difficult.
Examples
- Halfway through the project, we hit a wall and couldn't find a solution.
- After running for two hours, she hit a wall and had to slow down.
wall of silence
1/wˈɔl əv sˈaɪləns/
fixed phrase
Refusal to communicate about something
When no one will talk about something important.
Examples
- The investigation met with a wall of silence from officials.
- Her questions were answered with a wall of silence.