wall
gb/wˈɔl/ us/wˈɔl/
A1
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Vertical barrier or enclosure
A tall, solid structure that separates or surrounds an area or building.
Usage pattern:
a [material] wall
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'wall' with 'fence'; fences are not solid and are often made of wood or metal bars.
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.)
Collocations
brick wall
|stone wall
|climb a wall
|paint a wall
|high wall
Themes
architecture
|construction
|daily life
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The garden is surrounded by a high brick wall.
- He leaned against the wall and sighed.
- 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.
- There is a picture on the wall.
- We painted the wall blue.
- A wall is around the garden.
Noun
B1
state
2
Figurative barrier to progress
Something that stops people from understanding each other or making progress.
Usage pattern:
a wall of [emotion/attitude]
Common mistake:
Learners may take figurative uses literally and misunderstand that no actual physical wall exists.
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'.)
Collocations
hit a wall
|a wall of silence
|emotional wall
Themes
emotions
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Negotiations came up against a wall of resistance.
- I felt like I hit a wall with my studies.
- There was a wall of silence after the question.
Learner examples
- I hit a wall in my work.
- There is a wall between the two teams.
- We need to break down this wall of fear.
Verb
B2
action
3
To enclose or block using walls
To put walls around something to close it in or block it off.
Usage pattern:
to wall [something] in/off
Common mistake:
Learners might forget that 'wall' as a verb often needs a particle like 'in', 'off', or 'up'.
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.)
Collocations
wall off
|wall in
Themes
construction
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They walled off part of the garden for privacy.
- The city was walled in for protection.
- He walled up the old doorway.
Learner examples
- They will wall off the small room.
- The town was walled in many years ago.
- We walled up the window.
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.