hallway

hallway — noun

1. The space immediately inside the main entrance of a house or building, used for

1.nounA2
Definition

The space immediately inside the main entrance of a house or building, used for taking off coats or leaving wet items before heading further in.

Example

Ziad shook rain off his jacket and hung it on a hook in the hallway.

collocation: in the hallway

Nicholas found a package waiting for him just inside the hallway.

Common collocations
  • front hallway
  • narrow hallway
  • entrance hallway
  • dark hallway
  • tiled hallway
Synonyms
  • entrance hall

    more formal; often used for larger buildings like hotels or offices

  • foyer

    more formal; typically refers to the entrance area of a theatre, hotel, or apartment building

  • lobby

    a large open area near the entrance of a public building, not a private home

Usage Note

In British English, 'hall' is often used instead of 'hallway' for this sense. In American English, both are common.

Common Mistakes

I left my bag in the hall' (when meaning a corridor with rooms).
I left my bag in the hallway' (near the entrance).
'hall' can also mean a large public room (e.g. concert hall), so 'hallway' is clearer for the entrance area.

2. A long, narrow indoor passage with doors that lead to different rooms, found in

2.nounA2
Definition

A long, narrow indoor passage with doors that lead to different rooms, found in homes, schools, hotels, or offices.

Example

The hotel room was at the very end of the hallway, past the ice machine.

collocation: at the end of the hallway

Students waited outside their classroom doors as the teacher walked down the hallway.

Common collocations
  • long hallway
  • hotel hallway
  • school hallway
  • empty hallway
  • hallway wall
  • hallway light
Synonyms
  • corridor

    more formal; common in hospitals, hotels, and office buildings

  • passage

    slightly old-fashioned or literary; can also refer to a narrow connecting area between buildings

  • passageway

    similar to 'passage'; often used for narrower or less finished corridors

Usage Note

This is the more common sense in everyday American English. The related word 'corridor' is slightly more formal and often used for larger buildings such as hospitals, hotels, or offices.

Common Mistakes

The bathroom is at the end of the corridor' (in a house).
The bathroom is at the end of the hallway.
'corridor' sounds too formal for a home; use 'hallway' in everyday house contexts.

Word family

  • hall
    nounA2
  • hallways
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Hallway, corridor, passage, and passageway all refer to a long indoor space that connects rooms, but they differ in formality and typical setting. Hallway is the most common, everyday word for a corridor in a home, school, or apartment building. Corridor is more formal and is typically used for larger public or institutional buildings — hospitals, hotels, office towers, or train stations. Passage can refer to a narrower connecting area, sometimes between buildings or underground, and has a slightly literary feel. Passageway is similar to passage but often suggests a more functional or less finished space, such as a service corridor. For daily conversation about a home or school, hallway is the best choice. For example: 'The children ran down the hallway to get to class.' But: 'The hospital corridor was long and quiet.'

hallway ↗corridor ↗passage ↗passageway

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hallway wall
  • hallway floor
  • hallway ceiling
  • hallway closet
  • hallway light
  • hallway mirror
  • hallway table
  • hallway runner

Adverbs

  • down the hallway
  • along the hallway
  • up the hallway

Phrases

  • the end of the hallway
  • the middle of the hallway
  • the length of the hallway

Prepositions

  • in the hallway
  • through the hallway
  • down the hallway
  • at the end of the hallway

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Hallway is a compound word formed from 'hall' (from Old English 'heall', meaning a large room or enclosed space) and 'way' (from Old English 'weg', meaning a path or road). The word came into use in the 1800s as a clearer alternative to 'hall', which had grown to mean many different types of rooms.