Host — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈhōst/

Meaning & Definition of Host

Host (noun)

  1. a person who receives or entertains guests socially, commercially, or officially
  2. a place or organization that provides facilities and services for an event or function
  3. a country, government, etc. that agrees to allow an outside business, organization, group of people, etc. to operate, function, or live within its boundaries, jurisdiction, or population —often used before another noun
  4. the eucharistic bread
  5. a great number, multitude
  6. army

Host (verb)

  1. to receive or entertain guests at or for (an event)
  2. to serve as host to (a person or group)
  3. emcee
  4. to assemble in an army usually for a hostile purpose

Host (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person who conducts a program of entertainment by making introductions and providing continuity

    "our favorite morning TV show has a new host"

    similar: announcer, emcee, MC, master of ceremonies
    related: mistress of ceremonies, DJ, disc jockey, shock jock, veejay, VJ, huckster, pitchman, anchor, anchorman, anchorperson, anchorwoman, newscaster, CBer, ham, radioman

  2. a great number of persons or creatures massed together

    "a host of people assembled along the parade route to see the new president"

    similar: army, bike (chiefly Scottish), cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, legion, mass, mob, multitude, press, rout, scrum, swarm, throng
    related: masses, millions, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, gaggle, heap, mountain, pile, jam, logjam

  3. a large body of men and women organized for land warfare

    "the small band of defenders was no match for the enemy's mighty host of thousands"

    similar: army, array, battalion, legion
    related: militia, national guard, standing army, infantry, ranks, regulars, soldiers, troopers, troops

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Host

The most common words with a similar meaning to Host:

Chiefly Scottish: bike
announcer, emcee, MC, army, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, legion, mass, mob, multitude, press, rout, scrum, swarm, throng, array, battalion, master of ceremonies

Related Words for Host

mistress of ceremonies, DJ, disc jockey, shock jock, veejay, VJ, huckster, pitchman, anchor, anchorman, anchorperson, anchorwoman, newscaster, CBer, ham, radioman, masses, millions, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, gaggle, heap, mountain, pile, jam, logjam, militia, national guard, standing army

Word Forms of Host

Inflections: hosts, hosted, hosting, Hosts

Origin & Etymology of Host

Middle English ost, host "person who receives guests, guest," borrowed from Anglo-French oste, hoste, going back to Latin hospit-, hospes "guest, visitor, person receiving guests," going back to dialectal Indo-European *ghosti-pot- (whence probably also Old Church Slavic gospodĭ "lord, master"), from *ghost-i- "outsider, guest" + *pot- "one in control, master" guest:1, potent:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Host

Words & Phrases Containing Host

host cell, amplifying host, definitive host, graft-versus-host disease, intermediate host

Frequently Asked Questions about Host

What does "Host" mean?

"Host" means a person who receives or entertains guests socially, commercially, or officially. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a person who receives or entertains guests socially, commercially, or officially. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Host"?

Other words for "Host" include announcer, emcee, MC, army, bike, cram, crowd and crush. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Host" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Host"?

There are 60 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Host". Common alternatives include announcer, emcee, MC, army, bike, cram, crowd, crush, drove and flock.

How do you use "Host" in a sentence?

Examples of "Host" in a sentence: "our favorite morning TV show has a new host"; "a host of people assembled along the parade route to see the new president"; "the small band of defenders was no match for the enemy's mighty host of thousands".

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

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

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

As a B1-level word, "Host" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Host"?

"Host" is pronounced /ˈhōst/.

What is the origin of the word "Host"?

"Host" comes from Middle English ost, host "person who receives guests, guest," borrowed from Anglo-French oste, hoste, going back to Latin hospit-, hospes "guest, visitor, person receiving guests," going back to dialectal Indo-European *ghosti-pot- (whence probably also Old Church Slavic gospodĭ "lord, master"), from *ghost-i- "outsider, guest" + *pot- "one in control, master" guest:1, potent:1. First known use: 14th century.