How can you have a belfry without bats?
Source: tatoeba (715308)
Belfry
/ˈbɛlfɹi/
Synonyms for "belfry" (55 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (11)
Strong matches (17)
Related words (27)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: campanile, antenna tower, barbican, bean, bell tower.
- Sentence evidence is available for belfry, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "belfry".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "belfry"
Keep "belfry" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "belfry" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "belfry", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "belfry" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
Translations
47 translations across 30 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- камбанария noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Catalan
1 entries- campanar noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 鐘樓 /钟楼 noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Danish
1 entries- klokketårn noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Dutch
2 entries- belfort noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- klokkentoren noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Finnish
1 entries- kellotorni noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
French
1 entries- beffroi noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Friulian
4 entries- cjampanil noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- cjampanili noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- cjampanîl noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- cjampanîli noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
German
1 entries- Glockenturm noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Greek
2 entries- καμπαναριό noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- κωδωνοστάσιο noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Hungarian
1 entries- harangtorony noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Irish
1 entries- clogás noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Istriot
2 entries- canpaneîl noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- canpanèil noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Italian
1 entries- campanile noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Japanese
1 entries- 鐘楼 noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Macedonian
1 entries- камбанарија noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Manx
3 entries- claggys noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- shamyr chluig noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- thie cluig noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Māori
1 entries- pourewa pere noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- چاكلق noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Pannonian Rusyn
1 entries- дзвонїца noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Polish
1 entries- dzwonnica noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Portuguese
2 entries- campanário noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- torre sineira noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Romansch
2 entries- clucher noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- clutger noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Russian
1 entries- колоко́льня noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Spanish
4 entries- campanario noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- campanil noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- clochel noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- espadaña noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Swedish
2 entries- klockstapel noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- klocktorn noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Tagalog
1 entries- batingawan noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Ukrainian
1 entries- дзвіни́ця noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Venetan
4 entries- canpanil noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- canpanile noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- canpanièl noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
- canpaniłe noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Welsh
1 entries- clochdy noun (tower or steeple specifically for containing bells, especially as part of a church)
Sample sentences
8 total sentences available.
I hear the storks clacking from up in the belfry.
Source: tatoeba (1602390)
And Mary was buried in the rural graveyard, under the shadow of the belfry tower.
Source: tatoeba (1986832)
He has bats in the belfry.
Source: tatoeba (2511630)
Showing 4 of 8 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "belfry"?
Closest matches include campanile, antenna tower, barbican, bean, bell tower.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "belfry"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.