Path — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun abbreviation /ˈpath/

Meaning & Definition of Path

Path (noun)

  1. a trodden way
  2. a track specially constructed for a particular use
  3. course, route

Path (abbreviation)

  1. pathological; pathology

Path (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the direction along which something or someone moves

    "try to stay out of the path of the golf balls while playing"

    "I tripped over a rock directly in my path"

    similar: course, line, pathway, route, routeway (chiefly British), steps, track, way
    related: circle, circuit, loop, orbit, arc, flight path, trajectory, ascent, descent

  2. a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps

    "a path worn through the library lawn by too many people walking over it"

    similar: footpath, pathway, trace, track, trail
    related: bridle path, towpath, alley, alleyway, bypath, byroad, bystreet, byway, passageway, walkway, cutoff, shortcut, lane, pass, passage, road, roadway, route, row, run, runway, street, thoroughfare

  3. an established course for traveling from one place to another

    "the path along which ancient traders traveled from Europe to China was known as the Silk Road"

    similar: approach, avenue, passage, route, way
    related: bypath, byway, lane, laneway (British), artery, boulevard, bypass, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, passageway, pike, road, roadway, routeway (chiefly British), row, street, thoroughfare, turnpike, walk, walkway, trace, track, trail, airway, bikeway, cycleway (British), channel, gat, watercourse, waterway, door, doorway, gate, gateway, hatch, portal

Related Entry: Lead one down the garden path (phrase)

Lead one down the garden path is a different word from Path. The synonyms below are for lead one down the garden path, not for path.

  1. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "The suspect led the cops down the garden path with a series of misleading phone calls."

    similar: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on (chiefly British), hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick, do a number on, pull one's leg, pull the wool over one's eyes
    related: kid, put on, tease, bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, fleece, flimflam, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle
    opposite: undeceive
    near: debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

Related Entry: Bridle path (noun)

Bridle path is a different word from Path. The synonyms below are for bridle path, not for path.

  1. as in road, bypath

    similar: lane, pass, passage, road, roadway, route, row, run, runway, street, thoroughfare, alley, alleyway, bypath, byroad, bystreet, byway, passageway, walkway, footpath, path, pathway, trace, track, trail, cutoff, shortcut, towpath

Related Entry: Flight path (noun)

Flight path is a different word from Path. The synonyms below are for flight path, not for path.

  1. as in arc, trajectory

    similar: arc, trajectory, line, path, pathway, route, routeway (chiefly British), steps, track, way, circle, circuit, loop, orbit, ascent, descent

Related Entry: Primrose path (noun)

Primrose path is a different word from Path. The synonyms below are for primrose path, not for path.

  1. as in rest, good life

    similar: beer and skittles, easy street, fun and games, hog heaven, picnic, ease, relaxation, rest, American dream, good life, heaven, paradise, utopia
    opposite: agony, hell, horror, misery, murder, nightmare, torment, torture

Related Entry: Led one down the garden path (phrase)

Led one down the garden path is a different word from Path. The synonyms below are for led one down the garden path, not for path.

  1. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "The suspect led the cops down the garden path with a series of misleading phone calls."

    similar: bamboozled, beguiled, bluffed, buffaloed, burned, caught, conned, cozened, deceived, deluded, duped, faked out, fooled, gaffed, gammoned, gulled, had, had on (chiefly British), hoaxed, hoodwinked, hornswoggled, humbugged, juggled, misguided, misinformed, misled, snookered, snowed, spoofed, strung along, sucked in, suckered, took in, tricked, did a number on, pulled one's leg, pulled the wool over one's eyes
    related: kidded, put on, teased, bled, cheated, chiseled, defrauded, diddled, euchred, fleeced, flimflammed, gypped, hustled, mulcted, rooked, shortchanged, skinned, squeezed, stuck, stung, swindled
    opposite: undeceived
    near: debunked, exposed, revealed, showed up, uncloaked, uncovered, unmasked, disclosed, divulged, told, unveiled, disabused, disenchanted, disillusioned

Related Entry: Leads one down the garden path (phrase)

Leads one down the garden path is a different word from Path. The synonyms below are for leads one down the garden path, not for path.

  1. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "The suspect led the cops down the garden path with a series of misleading phone calls."

    similar: bamboozles, beguiles, bluffs, buffaloes, burns, catches, cons, cozens, deceives, deludes, dupes, fakes out, fools, gaffs, gammons, gulls, has, has on (chiefly British), hoaxes, hoodwinks, hornswoggles, humbugs, juggles, misguides, misinforms, misleads, snookers, snows, spoofs, strings along, suckers, sucks in, takes in, tricks, does a number on, pulls one's leg, pulls the wool over one's eyes
    related: kids, puts on, teases, bleeds, cheats, chisels, defrauds, diddles, euchres, fleeces, flimflams, hustles, mulcts, rooks, shortchanges, skins, squeezes, sticks, stings, swindles
    opposite: undeceives
    near: debunks, exposes, reveals, shows up, uncloaks, uncovers, unmasks, discloses, divulges, tells, unveils, disabuses, disenchants, disillusions

Related Entry: Leading one down the garden path (phrase)

Leading one down the garden path is a different word from Path. The synonyms below are for leading one down the garden path, not for path.

  1. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "The suspect led the cops down the garden path with a series of misleading phone calls."

    similar: bamboozling, beguiling, bluffing, buffaloing, burning, catching, conning, cozening, deceiving, deluding, duping, faking out, fooling, gaffing, gammoning, gulling, having, having on (chiefly British), hoaxing, hoodwinking, hornswoggling, humbugging, juggling, misguiding, misinforming, misleading, snookering, snowing, spoofing, stringing along, suckering, sucking in, taking in, tricking, doing a number on, pulling one's leg, pulling the wool over one's eyes
    related: kidding, putting on, teasing, bleeding, cheating, chiseling, defrauding, diddling, euchring, fleecing, flimflamming, gypping, hustling, mulcting, rooking, shortchanging, skinning, squeezing, sticking, stinging, swindling
    opposite: undeceiving
    near: debunking, exposing, revealing, showing up, uncloaking, uncovering, unmasking, disclosing, divulging, telling, unveiling, disabusing, disenchanting, disillusioning

Related Entry: Beaten (adjective)

Beaten is a different word from Path. The synonyms below are for beaten, not for path.

  1. depleted in strength, energy, or freshness

    "felt beaten after three months of 90-hour workweeks"

    similar: all in, aweary (archaic), beat, bleary, burned-out, bushed, dead, done, drained, exhausted, fatigued, jaded, knackered (British), limp, logy, played out, pooped (slang), prostrate, spent, tapped out, tired, tuckered (out), washed-out, wearied, weary, wiped out, worn, worn-out, worn to a frazzle
    related: overfatigued, overtaxed, overworked, broken-down, run-down, debilitated, enervate, enervated, enfeebled, sapped, weakened, drowsy, heavy, sleepy, lethargic, sluggish
    opposite: unwearied
    near: fresh, refreshed, rejuvenated, relaxed, rested, revitalized, active, energetic, invigorated, peppy, strengthened, strong, tireless, vitalized, weariless

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Path

The most common words with a similar meaning to Path:

Chiefly British: routeway
course, line, pathway, route, steps, track, way, footpath, trace, trail, approach, avenue, passage

Related Words for Path

circle, circuit, loop, orbit, arc, flight path, trajectory, ascent, descent, bridle path, towpath, alley, alleyway, bypath, byroad, bystreet, byway, passageway, walkway, cutoff, shortcut, lane, pass, road, roadway, row, run, runway, street, thoroughfare

Word Forms of Path

Inflections: paths

Origin & Etymology of Path

Middle English, from Old English pæth; akin to Old High German pfad path

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Path

Words & Phrases Containing Path

-path, patho-, bridle path, flight path, glide path, lead one down the garden path, mean free path, primrose path

Frequently Asked Questions about Path

What does "Path" mean?

"Path" means a trodden way. As an a noun and an abbreviation, it is defined as: a trodden way. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Path"?

Other words for "Path" include course, line, pathway, route, routeway, steps, track and way. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Path" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Path"?

There are 69 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Path". Common alternatives include course, line, pathway, route, routeway, steps, track, way, footpath and trace.

How do you use "Path" in a sentence?

Examples of "Path" in a sentence: "try to stay out of the path of the golf balls while playing"; "I tripped over a rock directly in my path"; "a path worn through the library lawn by too many people walking over it".

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

"Path" can be used as a noun and an abbreviation, depending on the context.

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

As a B1-level word, "Path" 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 "Path"?

"Path" is pronounced /ˈpath/.

What is the origin of the word "Path"?

"Path" comes from Middle English, from Old English pæth; akin to Old High German pfad path. First known use: before 12th century.