bastille

noun

a jail or prison (especially one that is run in a tyrannical manner)

a fortress built in Paris in the 14th century and used as a prison in the 17th and 18th centuries

Roots

bastirbast- · French · to build illa-ille · French · diminutive

Synonyms for bastille

prisonhouse prisonn penitentiaryn jailhousen bridewell jailn calaboose hoosegown lockupn guardhousen

Synonyms & related words for bastille

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of bastille — including prisonhouse, prison, penitentiary, jailhouse, bridewell, jail. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to bastille

Explore words related to bastille — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include stockaded, fortress, fortalice, citadel, fortilage, barmkin, bastion, fort. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for bastille

Common synonyms for bastille include prisonhouse, prison, penitentiary, jailhouse, bridewell, jail, calaboose, hoosegow — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does bastille come from?

The word bastille breaks down into 2 roots of French origin: bast, from French bastir (“to build”); and -ille, from French illa (“diminutive”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.