Basic Details
Word: Refuge
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A place or condition of safety from danger, trouble or bad weather.
Synonyms: shelter, sanctuary, haven, safety
Antonyms: danger
Word origin: From Latin refugium, from refugere, to flee back.
How to Spell Refuge
Syllables: ref - uge
Tricky part: One f, and the ending is uge as in huge, not uje or udge. The stress is on the first part: REF-uge.
Watch out for: refuje, reffuge, refudge
Memory tip: A refuge is a huge help in a storm: refuge ends in the same three letters as huge, uge.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The school building became a refuge for families during the floods.
Example 2: For my sister, the quiet reading room is a refuge from the noisy house.
Example 3: The island is a refuge for nesting sea turtles.
Fun Fact
The Latin root fugere, to flee, also gave English fugitive, a person who is running away, and refugee, a person who has had to flee to safety.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. privilige 2. advantege 3. luggege 4. refuge
a) a place of safety from danger
b) the bags you carry when travelling
c) a special right given to some people
d) something that helps you do better than others
Show answer
a) a place of safety from danger. Luggage, privilege and advantage all have a wrong vowel before their final ge; refuge is written as it should be.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word refuge as used in the sentence:
When the hailstorm began, the farmers took refuge under the old railway bridge.
a) revenge
b) shelter
c) food
d) danger
Show answer
b) shelter. Taking shelter means finding a safe place, as the farmers did under the bridge.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters:
r_fu_e
a) i, g
b) e, j
c) e, g
d) a, g
Show answer
c) e, g. The word begins re, and its soft j sound is spelt with g, as in huge.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which place would make the best refuge during a cyclone?
a) a strong concrete shelter
b) an open beach
c) a tall coconut tree
d) a small fishing boat
Show answer
a) a strong concrete shelter
2. A person forced to seek refuge in another country is called a ____.
a) tourist
b) diplomat
c) pilgrim
d) refugee
Show answer
d) refugee
