What does "penthouse" mean?
A structure or annexe (especially one with a sloping roof) extending from the side of a building, sometimes as protection from the weather.
Penthouse
/ˈpɛnt(h)aʊs/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A structure or annexe (especially one with a sloping roof) extending from the side of a building, sometimes as protection from the weather.
- Grammar: penthouse is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adobe house, apartment, building, casa.
- Useful contrasts: basement apartment, exposed roof, ground floor apartment.
- Usage evidence: Tom lives in a penthouse on the 30th floor.
How to use "penthouse"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "penthouse" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "penthouse" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "penthouse" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "penthouse" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "penthouse" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adobe house" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "penthouse", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A structure or annexe (especially one with a sloping roof) extending from the side of a building, sometimes as protection from the weather. historical
"At length, recommending himself to God, he let go one end of his cord, and suffered himself to fall down upon an old shed or penthouse, which, with the weight of his body, fell in with great noise."
- 2 an apartment located on the top floors of a building wordnet
- 3 Something forming a shelter or canopy over something; an awning, shelter, etc. archaic, broadly
"The proboscis […] is doubled up by means of the joint, and in that position lies secure under a scaly penthouse."
- 4 Any of the sloping roofs at the side of a real tennis court.
"2005, Tony Collins (ed.), Encyclopaedia of Traditional British Rural Sports, Routledge, page 262, An odd derivative of real tennis lasted until the latter part of the eighteenth century at Rattray in Perthshire. It was played in the churchyard by two pairs of men, and the method for starting the play was to throw the ball onto the church roof, using it like the sloping penthouse of the tennis court."
- 5 An apartment or suite found on an upper floor, or floors, of a tall building, especially one that is expensive or luxurious with panoramic views.
"Night of January 16th is the story of a woman on trial for pushing her wealthy boss-lover from a Manhattan penthouse."
Verb
- 1 To provide with a penthouse, shelter by means of a shed sloping from a wall, or anything similar. transitive
Antonyms
basement apartmentexposed roofground floor apartmentuncovered roof
Example
"Tom lives in a penthouse on the 30th floor."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "penthouse"?
Common synonyms include: adobe house, apartment, building, casa, ceiling, chambers.
How do you use "penthouse" in a sentence?
Tom lives in a penthouse on the 30th floor.
How do you pronounce "penthouse"?
Pronounced /ˈpɛnt(h)aʊs/.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman pentiz (“pentice”), from apendiz (“appentice”), ultimately from a suffixed form of Latin appendō (“I append”). Altered by folk etymology to appear to be a compound of house. Doublet of appentice and pentice.