inn
gb/ˈɪn/ us/ˈɪn/
A2
English
~ 1300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Small hotel or lodging house
A small place where you can pay to sleep, eat, and drink, usually outside big cities.
Usage pattern:
stay at [an inn]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'inn' with 'hotel'; while similar, 'inn' often refers to a smaller, more rural place.
Synonyms
guesthouse (Usually smaller and more personal than an inn; may be family-run.)
|
lodge (Can refer to a rural accommodation, sometimes more rustic.)
Antonyms
hotel (Generally larger, more formal, and often located in urban areas.)
Collocations
country inn
|cozy inn
|stay at an inn
|run an inn
Themes
travel
|accommodation
|hospitality
|food_drink
|housing
Examples
- We spent the night at a charming country inn.
- The old inn serves the best breakfast in town.
- They run a family-owned inn near the lake.
- The hikers stopped at a small inn for the night.
Learner examples
- We stayed at a small inn.
- The inn is next to the river.
- My friend works at an inn.
- We had dinner at the inn.
Grammar
Expressions
public house (pub)
1/pˈʌblɪk hˈaʊs pˈʌb/
fixed phrase
Licensed place for drinks and lodging
A place where people can drink alcohol and sometimes stay the night.
Examples
- The old public house once served as an inn for weary travelers.
- He runs a public house that also offers rooms upstairs.
roadside inn
1/ɹˈoʊdsˌaɪd ˈɪn/
fixed phrase
Inn beside a road for travelers
A small hotel next to a road where travelers can stop and rest.
Examples
- We stopped at a roadside inn halfway through our journey.
- The roadside inn offered clean rooms and hot meals.