bathroom
BAHTH-ruum
Bathroom (noun) means a room containing a bath or shower, usually also with a toilet and sink. Example: “We're renovating the bathroom this summer.”
noun
1
A room containing a bath or shower, usually also with a toilet and sink.
"Although there was a cloakroom on the ground floor, the Old Rectory had only one bathroom, a defect which necessitated embarrassed, low-voiced enquiries before anyone upset their carefully worked-out rota by taking an unexpected bath."
— P. D. James, Devices and Desires (1989)
"We're renovating the bathroom this summer."
"The bathroom has a large mirror above the sink and a walk-in shower."
"Please wipe the bath when you have finished in the bathroom."
2
A polite term for a toilet, whether or not it also contains a bath.
"Excuse me, where's the bathroom?"
"Could I please use the bathroom before the film begins?"
"The guest quietly asked a waiter where the bathroom was."
How to use bathroom
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe room used for washing and using the toilet.
UK vs US
Americans commonly say "bathroom" even for a small room with just a toilet; British English tends to reserve that for "toilet" or "loo" and use "bathroom" only when there's a bath.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
go to the bathroom
bathroom break
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Word forms
- Plural
- bathrooms
- Third person singular
- bathrooms
- Past tense
- bathroomed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We're renovating the _____ this summer.
Etymology
From bath + room.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for bathroom
See all rhymes for bathroom →Frequently asked questions
What does “bathroom” mean?
The word “bathroom” means a room containing a bath or shower, usually also with a toilet and sink. In plain terms, the room used for washing and using the toilet.
How do you pronounce “bathroom”?
“Bathroom” is pronounced BAHTH-ruum (/ˈbæθˌɹum/ in IPA).
How do you use “bathroom” in a sentence?
Here is “bathroom” used in a sentence: “We're renovating the bathroom this summer.”
What part of speech is “bathroom”?
“Bathroom” is a noun.
Is “bathroom” a common word?
“Bathroom” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “bathroom” have?
“Bathroom” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a room containing a bath or shower, usually also with a toilet and sink.
What is the difference between a bathroom and a restroom?
In American English, 'bathroom' usually means the room at home with a toilet, while 'restroom' is the public equivalent in places like restaurants and airports. In British English, a 'bathroom' strictly contains a bath or shower, and a public one is called the 'toilets' or 'loo.' The word chosen often signals which country you are in.
What is the difference between a bathroom and a toilet?
A 'toilet' can mean either the fixture itself or, in British usage, a small room containing only that fixture and perhaps a sink. A 'bathroom' is larger and also includes a bath or shower. So every bathroom contains a toilet, but a room with just a toilet is not a full bathroom.
What is a half bathroom?
A half bathroom, also called a powder room or cloakroom, contains only a toilet and a sink — no bath or shower. The 'half' refers to having two of the four main fixtures. A 'full bathroom' has all four: toilet, sink, bath, and shower. The term is common in American property listings.
Why is it called a bathroom if there is no bath?
The name comes from the room's original purpose, a room for bathing. Over time, especially in American English, 'bathroom' became a polite way to refer to any room with a toilet, even one without a bath or shower. The word now works as a gentle euphemism rather than a literal description of the fixtures.
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