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ajar

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ajar¹

  • /əˈd͡ʒɑː/ UK
  • /əˈd͡ʒɑɹ/ US

Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English ajar, on char (“on [the] turn”), from on (“on”) + char (“turn, occasion”), from Old English ċierr, cyrr (“turn”), from ċierran (“to turn, convert”), equivalent to a- + char. Akin to Scots char, chare (“to turn, cause to turn”), Dutch akerre, kier (“ajar”), German kehren (“to turn”). See char.

adverb achar

  1. not comparable Slightly turned or opened. The door was standing ajar.

adjective more ajar · most ajar · achar

  1. Slightly turned or opened. The door is ajar.

verb ajars · ajarring · ajarred · achar

  1. intransitive, rare, transitive To turn or open slightly; to become ajar or to cause to become ajar; to be or to hang ajar. A plainclothes detective knocked on a slightly ajarred door.

ajar²

  • /əˈd͡ʒɑː/ UK
  • /əˈd͡ʒɑɹ/ US

Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)

adverb

  1. archaic, not comparable Out of harmony.
  2. not comparable Being at variance or in contradiction to something. There is a sort of unexpressed concern, / A kind of shock that sets one's heart ajar […].

verb ajars · ajarring · ajarred

  1. intransitive, rare To show variance or contradiction with something; to be or cause to be askew. It clean deafened the two of us, and set all the crockery ware ajarring; and when the neighbours heard it they came running into the street to see who was getting hurt.

Ajar³

Where it comes from

From Georgian აჭარლები (ač̣arlebi).

noun Ajars

  1. Synonym of Adjaran. The Ajars are Muslim Georgians and have their own autonomous republic within Georgia, but Georgians insist that there are no important distinctions between Ajars and Georgians […]

    Similar: Adjaran

Translations

Every language

adv slightly turned or opened

Españolentreabiertamente, entornadamente, entrecerradamente, juntadamente
日本語少し開いて sukoshi aite
中文虚掩地 xūyăn de, 半开地 bànkāi de
Portuguêsentreaberto
Françaisentrouvert, entrebâillé
Deutschangelehnt
Italianosocchiuso
Românăîntredeschis
Русскийприоткры́тый priotkrýtyj

adj slightly turned or opened

Españolentreabierto, entornado, entreajustado, entrecerrado, juntado
中文虚掩地 xūyăn de, 半开地 bànkāi de
Portuguêsentreaberto
Françaisentrebâillé, entrouvert
Deutschangelehnt
Românăîntredeschis
Русскийприоткры́тый priotkrýtyj

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Cite this
MLA

"ajar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ajar. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

ajar. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ajar

Chicago

"ajar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ajar.

BibTeX
@misc{ajar_2026,
  title = {ajar},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ajar},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}