house
noun
/haʊs/
(plural houses /ˈhaʊzɪz/ /ˈhaʊzɪz/) building
1 countable a building for people to live in, usually for one family in a house
We live in a two-bedroom house.
in the house
It was so hot outside we stayed in the house.
into the house
He went into the house.
out of the house
I had to get out of the house.
inside the house
A light was on inside the house.
outside the house
There was a police van parked outside the house.
at somebody's house
Let's have a party at my house.
We need to build more houses in a way that respects the needs of the environment.
Investors were buying houses to rent them out.
What time do you leave the house in the morning (= to go to work)?
(British English) We're moving house (= leaving our house and going to live in a different one).
House prices (= prices of houses and flats) in London are still rising.
We went on a tour of the house and grounds (= for example, at a country house, open to the public).
They went from house to house, begging for food.
Collocations
Moving house
Renting
live in a rented/(especially North American English) rental property
rent/share/move into a furnished house/(British English) flat/(especially North American English) apartment
rent a studio/(British English) a studio flat/(especially North American English) a studio apartment/(British English) a bedsit
find/get a housemate/(British English) a flatmate/(North American English) a roommate
sign/break the lease/rental agreement/contract
extend/renew/terminate the lease/(British English) tenancy
afford/pay the rent/the bills/(North American English) the utilities
(especially British English) fall behind with/ (especially North American English) fall behind on the rent
pay/lose/return a damage deposit/(North American English) security deposit
give/receive a month’s/two-weeks’ notice to leave/vacate the property
Being a landlord
have a flat/an apartment/a room (British English) to let/(especially North American English) for rent
rent (out)/lease (out)/ (British English) let (out)/sublet a flat/an apartment/a house/a property
collect/increase/raise the rent
evict the existing tenants
attract/find new/prospective tenants
invest in rental property/(British English) property to let/(British English) the buy-to-let market
Buying
buy/acquire/purchase a house/(a) property/(especially North American English) (a piece of) prime real estate
call/contact/use (British English) an estate agent/(North American English) a Realtor™/(North American English) a real estate agent/broker
make/ (British English) put in an offer on a house
put down/save for (British English) a deposit on a house
make/put/save for (especially North American English) a down payment on a house/home
apply for/arrange/take out a mortgage/home loan
(struggle to) pay the mortgage
make/meet/keep up/cover the monthly mortgage payments/(British English also) repayments
(British English) repossess/ (especially North American English) foreclose on somebody’s home/house
Selling
put your house/property on the market/up for sale/up for auction
increase/lower your price/the asking price
have/hold/hand over the deed/(especially British English) deeds of/to the house, land, etc.
Decorating and home improvement
Houses
refurbish/renovate/ (British English) do up a building/a house
convert a building/house/room into homes/offices/(especially North American English) apartments/(British English) flats
extend/enlarge a house/building/room/kitchen
build (British English) an extension (to the back/rear of a house)/(North American English) an addition (on/to something)/(British English) a conservatory
knock down/demolish a house/home/building/wall
knock out/through the wall separating two rooms
Decoration
furnish/paint/ (especially British English) decorate a home/a house/an apartment/a flat/a room
be decorated in bright colours/in a traditional style/with flowers/with paintings
paint/plaster the walls/ceiling
hang/put up/strip off/remove the wallpaper
install/replace/remove the bathroom fixtures/(British English) fittings
build/put up shelves
lay wooden flooring/timber decking/floor tiles/a carpet/a patio
put up/hang/take down a picture/painting/poster/curtain
DIY/home improvement
do (British English) DIY/carpentry/the plumbing/the wiring
make home improvements
add/install central heating/underfloor heating/insulation
fit/install double-glazing/a smoke alarm
insulate your house/your home/the walls/the pipes/the tanks/(especially British English) the loft
fix/repair a roof/a leak/a pipe/the plumbing/a leaking (especially British English) tap/(North American English usually) faucet
block/clog (up)/unblock/unclog a pipe/sink
make/drill/fill a hole
hammer (in)/pull out/remove a nail
tighten/untighten/loosen/remove a screw
saw/cut/treat/stain/varnish/paint wood
Collocations
adjective
verb + house
house + verb
house + noun
preposition
at somebody’s/the house
from house to house
in a/the house
2 singular all the people living in a house Be quiet or you'll wake the whole house!
3 countable (in compounds) a building used for a particular purpose, for example for holding meetings in or keeping animals or goods in an opera house
a henhouse
4 House singular (British English) used in the names of office buildings Their offices are on the second floor of Chester House.
company/institution
5 countable (in compounds) a company involved in a particular kind of business; an institution of a particular kind a fashion/banking/publishing house
a religious house (= a convent or a monastery)
restaurant
a steakhouse
a coffee house
a bottle of house wine (= the cheapest wine available in a particular restaurant, sometimes not listed by name)
parliament
7 countable (often House) a group of people who meet to discuss and make the laws of a country Legislation requires approval by both houses of parliament.
8 the House singular the House of Commons or the House of Lords in the UK; the House of Representatives in the US in debate
9 the house singular a group of people discussing something in a formal debate I urge the house to vote against the motion.
in theatre
10 countable the part of a theatre where the audience sits; the audience at a particular performance playing to a full/packed/empty house (= to a large/small audience)
The spotlight faded and the house lights came up.
in school
11 countable (in some British schools) an organized group of students of different ages who compete against other groups in sports competitions, etc. and who may, in boarding schools, live together in one building family
12 countable (usually the House of…) an old and famous family the House of Windsor (= the British royal family)
music
13 (also house) uncountable a type of electronic dance music with a fast beat Idioms
to make everyone laugh or cheer, especially at a performance in the theatre
(North American English) to remove people or things that are not necessary or wanted
The new manager said he wanted to clean house.
to make your house clean
(informal, often humorous) to eat a lot of somebody else’s food
How much longer is he staying? He’s eating us out of house and home.
More Like This Alliteration in idioms
(British English) (North American English get along like a house on fire) (informal) (of people) to become friends quickly and have a very friendly relationship
(British English, informal) to do something or ask a question in a very complicated way instead of in a simple, direct way
You did go all round the houses didn’t you? Why not get straight to the point?
keep house
to cook, clean and do all the other jobs around the house
She kept house for her elderly parents.
not a dry eye in the house
(humorous) used to say that everyone was very emotional about something
There wasn't a dry eye in the house when they announced their engagement.
on the house
drinks or meals that are on the house are provided free by the pub or restaurant and you do not have to pay
Have a drink on the house.
people (who live) in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
(saying) you should not criticize other people, because they will easily find ways of criticizing you
play house
(of a child) to play at being a family in its home
The children were playing house, giving dinner to their dolls.
put/set your (own) house in order
to organize your own business or improve your own behaviour before you try to criticize somebody else
(as) safe as houses
(British English) very safe
More Like This Similes in idioms
set up house
to make a place your home
They set up house together in a small flat in Brighton.
They want to set up house together.