lobby
/ˈlɑ.bi/noun, verb
lobby is spelled L-O-B-B-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,784th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, lobby means “An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of lobby is lobbies.
How many letters and syllables are in lobby?
| Letters | 5: L-O-B-B-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 11 times per million words; the 6,784th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is lobby?
Lobby appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,784th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce lobby?
- UK /ˈlɒb.i/
- US /ˈlɑ.bi/
- Canada /ˈlɒb.i/
Lobby has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-lobby.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with lobby?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as lobby from its last stressed vowel (/ɑbi/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of lobby
- lobbies plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- lobbying participle, present
- lobbied participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does lobby mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
I had to wait in the lobby for hours before seeing the doctor.
- 2
That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.
- 3
A class or group of interested people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.
Near-synonym: special interest
- 4
A virtual area where meeting attendees can await admittance from an authorized person.
- 5
A virtual area where players can chat and find opponents for a game.
- 6
An apartment or passageway in the fore part of an old-fashioned cabin under the quarter-deck.
- 7
A confined place for cattle, formed by hedges, trees, or other fencing, near the farmyard.
Near-synonyms: cowyard, paddock
- 8
A margin along either side of the playing field in the sport of kabaddi.
- 9
lobscouse
My mam cooked us lobby for tea last night.
verb
- 1
To attempt to influence (a public official or decision-maker) in favor of a specific opinion or cause.
For years, pro-life groups have continued to lobby hard for restrictions on abortion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Lobby in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vestibule, foyer, hall , lobby , faire pression sur |
| German | Lobby, Foyer, Vorraum, Vorhalle , lobbyieren |
| Portuguese | saguão, vestíbulo, átrio , lobby, lóbi , fazer lobby |
| Spanish | vestíbulo, recibidor, zaguán, atrio, palier, lobby |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does lobby come from?
From Medieval Latin lobia, lobium, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Frankish *laubijā (“arbour, shelter”), related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf. Doublet of leaf, lodge, and loggia.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).