rooming house

noun

room·​ing house ˈrü-miŋ- How to pronounce rooming house (audio)
ˈru̇-
Synonyms of rooming housenext
: a house where lodgings are provided for rent

Examples of rooming house in a Sentence

After losing his job, he moved to a cheap rooming house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
State laws for tourist rooming houses focus on health and safety standards. — Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 25 Dec. 2025 In town there are rooming houses and cottages for one or two families, built for millworkers. — Literary Hub, 12 Feb. 2026 Once at the scene of the crime, Schapiro made his way across the street to a rooming house from where he was told the gunman had shot King. — Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025 His parents ran a luncheonette and rooming house near factories whose immigrant workers came in to eat. — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rooming house

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rooming house was in 1873

Rhymes for rooming house

See All Rhymes for rooming house

Browse Nearby Words

roominess
rooming house
rooming-in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rooming house.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rooming%20house. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

rooming house

noun
: a house where rooms are rented to lodgers

More from Merriam-Webster on rooming house

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rooming house

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