Harbor — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈhär-bər/ har·bor

Meaning & Definition of Harbor

Harbor (noun)

  1. a place of security and comfort, refuge
  2. a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to furnish anchorage; especially, one with port facilities

Harbor (verb)

  1. to give shelter or refuge to
  2. to be the home or habitat of; broadly, contain
  3. to hold especially persistently in the mind

Harbor (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to be a place of safety for ships

    "the tanker stayed in Boston harbor three days to undergo repairs"

    similar: anchorage, harborage, haven, port
    related: basin, dock, marina, moorage, mooring, arm, bay, bight, cove, creek (chiefly British), embayment, estuary, firth, fjord, gulf, inlet, lagoon, loch (Scottish), lough (chiefly Irish), narrow, roads, roadstead, canal, channel, sound, strait, containerport, home port, seaport

  2. something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger

    "seeking a harbor from the drenching rain, we unfortunately chose a bank where a robbery was taking place"

    similar: asylum, bolt-hole (chiefly British), harborage, haven, refuge, retreat, sanctuary, sanctum, shelter
    related: oasis, anchorage, mooring, port, cover, screen, abode, diggings, domicile, dwelling, habitation, house, housing, lodging, lodgment, pad, place, quarters, residence, rest, roof, cloister, closet, covert, den, hermitage, hideaway, hideout, lair, castle, fastness, fort, fortress, palisade, redoubt, stronghold, lean-to, lee, shed, windbreak

Harbor (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to keep in one's mind or heart

    "he had long harbored a grudge against his old employer, who had high-handedly fired him without cause"

    similar: bear, cherish, entertain, have, hold, nurse, hang on to, hold on to
    related: cultivate, foster, nurture, support, sustain, carry, keep, maintain, preserve, remember, retain, treasure, cleave (to), cling (to), hug, stick (to), brood (about or over), fixate (on or upon), obsess (about or over)
    near: disregard, drop, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, abjure, decline, deny, disdain, refuse, reject, repudiate, scorn, abandon, desert, discard, forsake, give up, part (with), quit, renounce, throw out, erase, expunge

  2. to provide with living quarters or shelter

    "the woods in our suburb harbor deer, foxes, raccoons, and skunks"

    similar: accommodate, bestow, billet, bivouac, board, bunk, camp, chamber, domicile, encamp, house, lodge, put up, quarter, roof, room, shelter, take in
    related: ensconce, home, roost, secure, shed, stable, tent, barrack, bed (down)
    near: eject, evict

  3. to be or provide a shelter for

    "the little cabin is harbored from the wind by a thick growth of pines"

    similar: refuge, shelter
    related: cover, defend, protect, safeguard, screen, secure, shield, ward, domicile, house, place, quarter, shade, shadow
    near: expose

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Harbor

The most common words with a similar meaning to Harbor:

Chiefly British: bolt-hole
anchorage, harborage, haven, port, asylum, refuge, retreat, sanctuary, sanctum, shelter, bear, cherish, entertain, have, hold, nurse, accommodate, bestow, billet, bivouac, board, bunk, camp, chamber, domicile, encamp, house, lodge, put up, quarter, roof, room, take in, hang on to, hold on to

Related Words for Harbor

basin, dock, marina, moorage, mooring, arm, bay, bight, cove, creek, embayment, estuary, firth, fjord, gulf, inlet, lagoon, loch, lough, narrow, roads, roadstead, canal, channel, sound, strait, containerport, home port, seaport, oasis

Near Antonyms of Harbor

disregard, drop, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, abjure, decline, deny, disdain, refuse, reject, repudiate, scorn, abandon, desert, discard, forsake, give up, part (with), quit, renounce, throw out, erase, expunge, eject, evict, expose

Word Forms of Harbor

Inflections: harbors, harbored, harboring

Derived words: harborful (noun), harborless (adjective), harborer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Harbor

Middle English herberwe, herberowe, herbour, harborow "quarters, lodgings, field camp of an army, shelter for a traveler," going back to Old English herebeorg "shelter, lodgings," going back to Germanic *haribergō- (whence also Old Frisian herberge "lodging, inn," Old Saxon heriberga "army camp," Old High German heriberga, herberga "army camp, lodging for a traveler, accommodations," Old Norse herbergi "inn, room"), from *harja- "body of armed men" + *-bergō- "shelter, protection," noun derivative from the base of *bergan- "to keep safe" (whence Old English beorgan [strong verb class III] "to protect, defend, preserve," Old Saxon gibergan "to protect," Old High German bergan "to save, preserve, conceal," Old Norse bjarga "to save," Gothic bairgan "to keep, preserve"), going back to dialectal Indo-European *bhergh-, whence also Old Church Slavic nebrěgǫ, nebrěšti "to disregard, neglect," Czech brh "hayrick, cave, hut" (from *bĭrgŭ), Czech brah "hayrick," Polish bróg "hayrick, barn for hay" (from *borgŭ), Lithuanian bìrginti "to be sparing, not spend much," Old Irish commairce "protection, refuge" (from *ḱom-bhorgh-i̯e-) harry

First known use: 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Harbor

Words & Phrases Containing Harbor

harbor seal, Pearl Harbor

Frequently Asked Questions about Harbor

What does "Harbor" mean?

"Harbor" means a place of security and comfort, refuge. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a place of security and comfort, refuge. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Harbor"?

Other words for "Harbor" include anchorage, harborage, haven, port, asylum, bolt-hole, refuge and retreat. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Harbor" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Harbor"?

There are 133 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Harbor". Common alternatives include anchorage, harborage, haven, port, asylum, bolt-hole, refuge, retreat, sanctuary and sanctum.

How do you use "Harbor" in a sentence?

Examples of "Harbor" in a sentence: "the tanker stayed in Boston harbor three days to undergo repairs"; "seeking a harbor from the drenching rain, we unfortunately chose a bank where a robbery was taking place"; "he had long harbored a grudge against his old employer, who had high-handedly fired him without cause".

Is "Harbor" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Harbor" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Harbor" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Harbor" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Harbor"?

"Harbor" is pronounced /ˈhär-bər/ and divided into syllables as har·bor.

What is the origin of the word "Harbor"?

"Harbor" comes from Middle English herberwe, herberowe, herbour, harborow "quarters, lodgings, field camp of an army, shelter for a traveler," going back to Old English herebeorg "shelter, lodgings," going back to Germanic *haribergō- (whence also Old Frisian herberge "lodging, inn," Old Saxon heriberga "army camp," Old High German heriberga, herberga "army camp, lodging for a traveler, accommodations," Old Norse herbergi "inn, room"), from *harja- "body of armed men" + *-bergō- "shelter, protection," noun derivative from the base of *bergan- "to keep safe" (whence Old English beorgan [strong verb class III] "to protect, defend, preserve," Old Saxon gibergan "to protect," Old High German bergan "to save, preserve, conceal," Old Norse bjarga "to save," Gothic bairgan "to keep, preserve"), going back to dialectal Indo-European *bhergh-, whence also Old Church Slavic nebrěgǫ, nebrěšti "to disregard, neglect," Czech brh "hayrick, cave, hut" (from *bĭrgŭ), Czech brah "hayrick," Polish bróg "hayrick, barn for hay" (from *borgŭ), Lithuanian bìrginti "to be sparing, not spend much," Old Irish commairce "protection, refuge" (from *ḱom-bhorgh-i̯e-) harry. First known use: 12th century.