A jungle is a forest in a tropical country where large numbers of tall trees and plants grow very close together.
...the mountains and jungles of Papua New Guinea. [+ of]
The mountain area is covered entirely in dense jungle.
...a remote jungle area.
Synonyms: rainforest, forest, the bush, bushland More Synonyms of jungle
2. singular noun
If you describe a place as ajungle, you are emphasizing that it is full of lots of things and very untidy.
[emphasis]
...a jungle of stuffed birds, knick-knacks, potted plants. [+ of]
Synonyms: maze, web, puzzle, confusion More Synonyms of jungle
3. singular noun
If you describe a situation as ajungle, you dislike it because it is complicated and difficult to get what you want from it.
[disapproval]
Social security law and procedure remain a jungle of complex rules. [+ of]
...the examination jungle.
4.
See law of the jungle
5. uncountable noun
Jungle is a style of dance music with a fast drum beat.
jungle in British English
(ˈdʒʌŋɡəl)
noun
1.
an equatorial forest area with luxuriant vegetation, often almost impenetrable
2.
any dense or tangled thicket or growth
3.
a place of intense competition or ruthless struggle for survival
the concrete jungle
4.
a type of fast electronic dance music, originating in the early 1990s, which combines elements of techno and ragga
5. US slang
(esp in the Depression) a gathering place for unemployed people, etc
Derived forms
jungly (ˈjungly)
adjective
Word origin
C18: from Hindi jangal, from Sanskrit jāngala wilderness
jungle in American English
(ˈdʒʌŋgəl)
noun
1.
land in a wet, tropical region, usually with large trees, dense underbrush, and a hot climate
2.
any confused, tangled growth, collection, etc.
3. US, Slang
a hobos' camp
4. US, Slang
a place or situation in which people engage in ruthless competition or in a struggle for survival
Derived forms
jungly (ˈjungly)
adjective
Word origin
Hindi jangal, desert forest, jungle < Sans jaṅgala, wasteland, desert
More idioms containing
jungle
the law of the jungle
Examples of 'jungle' in a sentence
jungle
He has now asked producers to keep it in a safe place for him until he leaves the jungle.
The Sun (2016)
We had a coffee and set off into the jungle under a full moon.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Can you hear the beat of those jungle drums?
The Sun (2014)
They stayed for six weeks and taught survival techniques and jungle fighting.
The Sun (2007)
Over the decades they have emerged from desert islands and tropical jungles.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
This rumble in the concrete jungle looks like running for some time.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Much of the jungle in Sumatra remains as it was when western eyes first sighted it.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In its place is a jungle, shrunk down to about chest height.
Levenson, Thomas Ice Time: Climate, Science, and Life on Earth (1990)
So what sort of hazards will they face in the Australian jungle?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It is lightweight, yet durable enough for the urban jungle.
The Sun (2012)
The dense jungle also comes across well, as do the beach scenes.
The Sun (2008)
When was the last time he failed to comment about anything, including jungle drums?
The Sun (2011)
She said there is a good voice which tells her she is doing well and a bad voice telling her to leave the jungle.
The Sun (2010)
Previously well tended parks would quickly turn to forest or jungle, and monuments would be swallowed under greenery.
The Sun (2008)
Her face resembled that of an airline crash survivor who stumbles out of some remote jungle, confused by the world around her.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Part of the problem has been its terrain, with huge mountains and impassable jungles making places that are quite near to each other almost inaccessible.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
But in Fiji, they grow in jungles.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
I hoped this would put an end to the stories that Britain's countryside is jammed full of jungle animals.
The Sun (2012)
In other languages
jungle
British English: jungle /ˈdʒʌŋɡl/ NOUN
A jungle is a forest in a tropical country where tall trees and other plants grow very closely together.
...the mountains and jungles of Papua New Guinea.
American English: jungle
Arabic: دَغْلٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: selva
Chinese: 丛林
Croatian: džungla
Czech: džungle
Danish: jungle
Dutch: jungle
European Spanish: selva
Finnish: viidakko
French: jungle
German: Dschungel
Greek: ζούγκλα
Italian: giungla
Japanese: ジャングル
Korean: 정글
Norwegian: jungel
Polish: dżungla
European Portuguese: selva
Romanian: junglă
Russian: джунгли
Latin American Spanish: selva
Swedish: djungel
Thai: ป่าทึบ
Turkish: orman
Ukrainian: джунглі
Vietnamese: rừng nhiệt đới
All related terms of 'jungle'
jungle fowl
any small gallinaceous bird of the genus Gallus , of S and SE Asia , the males of which have an arched tail and a combed and wattled head: family Phasianidae ( pheasants ). G . gallus ( red jungle fowl ) is thought to be the ancestor of the domestic fowl
jungle gym
a climbing frame for young children
jungle bunny
a Black person
jungle fever
a serious malarial fever occurring in the East Indies
jungle juice
a slang name for alcoholic liquor , esp home-made liquor
asphalt jungle
an expression used to refer to a city environment, which emphasizes its dangerous nature
concrete jungle
If you refer to a city or area as a concrete jungle , you mean that it has a lot of modern buildings and you think it is ugly or unpleasant to live in.
jungle warfare
the specialized techniques required by the military to survive and fight in jungle terrain
red jungle fowl
See under jungle fowl
law of the jungle
If you refer to the law of the jungle , you are referring to a situation in which there are no laws or rules to govern the way that people behave and people use force to get what they want .
the law of the jungle
a situation where the normal rules and values of civilized life do not exist , and so, for example , strength , power, and aggressiveness have more effect than moral values and legal rights
Chinese translation of 'jungle'
jungle
(ˈdʒʌŋɡl)
n
(c/u)丛(叢)林 (cónglín) (片, piàn)
(s) (fig) 混乱(亂) (hùnluàn)
the law of the jungle弱肉强(強)食的原则(則) (ruò ròu qiáng shí de yuánzé)
1 (noun)
Definition
a forest area in a hot country with luxuriant vegetation
the mountains and jungles of Papua New Guinea
Synonyms
rainforest
forest
Parts of the forest are still dense.
the bush
He caught sunstroke while travelling in the bush.
bushland
the wilds
They went canoeing in the wilds of Canada.
wilderness
The neglected cemetery was a wilderness of crumbling gravestones and parched grass.
tropical rainforest
2 (noun)
Definition
a confused or confusing situation
a jungle of stuffed sofas, stuffed birds, knick-knacks, potted plants
Synonyms
maze
the maze of rules and regulations
a maze of dimly-lit corridors
web
a complex web of financial dealings
puzzle
confusion
Omissions in my recent article may have caused some confusion.
uncertainty
The magazine ignores all the uncertainties students currently face.
tangle
a tangle of wires
snarl
a snarl of logs and branches
mesh
They led the criminals into their mesh.
bewilderment
He shook his head in bewilderment.
perplexity
There was utter perplexity in both their expressions.
imbroglio
idiom
See the law of the jungle
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bewilderment
He shook his head in bewilderment.
Synonyms
confusion,
puzzlement,
disorientation,
perplexity,
bemusement,
mystification,
befuddlement
in the sense of confusion
Definition
bewilderment
Omissions in my recent article may have caused some confusion.
Synonyms
bewilderment,
doubt,
uncertainty,
puzzlement,
perplexity,
mystification,
bafflement,
perturbation
in the sense of forest
Definition
a large wooded area with a thick growth of trees and plants
Parts of the forest are still dense.
Synonyms
wood,
trees,
woods,
grove,
woodland,
bushland,
plantation,
rainforest,
thicket,
copse,
coppice
Synonyms of 'jungle'
jungle
Explore 'jungle' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of mesh
Definition
anything that ensnares or holds like a net
They led the criminals into their mesh.
Synonyms
trap,
web,
tangle,
toils,
snare,
entanglement
in the sense of perplexity
Definition
the state of being perplexed
There was utter perplexity in both their expressions.
Synonyms
puzzlement,
confusion,
bewilderment,
incomprehension,
bafflement,
mystification,
stupefaction
in the sense of puzzle
Synonyms
perplexity,
difficulty,
confusion,
uncertainty,
dilemma,
bewilderment,
quandary,
bafflement
in the sense of snarl
a snarl of logs and branches
Synonyms
tangle,
mass,
twist,
web,
knot,
jungle,
mat,
coil,
mesh,
ravel,
entanglement
in the sense of tangle
Definition
a confused or complicated mass of things, such as hair or fibres, knotted or coiled together
a tangle of wires
Synonyms
knot,
mass,
twist,
web,
jungle,
mat,
coil,
snarl,
mesh,
ravel,
entanglement
in the sense of the bush
Definition
an uncultivated area covered with trees or shrubs in Australia, Africa, New Zealand, and Canada
He caught sunstroke while travelling in the bush.
Synonyms
the wilds,
brush,
wilderness,
scrub,
woodland,
remote areas,
the outback,
backwoods,
back country (US),
scrubland,
backlands (US)
in the sense of the wilds
Definition
a desolate or uninhabited region
They went canoeing in the wilds of Canada.
Synonyms
wilderness,
desert,
wasteland,
middle of nowhere (informal),
backwoods,
back of beyond (informal),
uninhabited area
in the sense of uncertainty
The magazine ignores all the uncertainties students currently face.
Synonyms
doubt,
confusion,
dilemma,
misgiving,
qualm,
bewilderment,
quandary,
puzzlement,
perplexity,
mystification
in the sense of web
Definition
anything that is intricately formed or complex
a complex web of financial dealings
Synonyms
tangle,
series,
network,
mass,
chain,
knot,
maze,
toils,
nexus
in the sense of wilderness
Definition
a confused mass or tangle
The neglected cemetery was a wilderness of crumbling gravestones and parched grass.