Meanings
ajar1
alternative Scotland achar
- not comparableSlightly turned or opened.
The door was standing ajar.
comparative more ajar · superlative most ajar · alternative Scotland achar
- Slightly turned or opened.
The door is ajar.
1 more example
I know—for Death, who comes for me From regions of the blest afar, Where there is nothing to deceive, Hath left his iron gate ajar, […]
1829, Edgar Allan Poe, “Tamerlane”, in Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems
present singular third person ajars · participle present ajarring · participle past ajarred · past ajarred · alternative Scotland achar
- intransitiveraretransitiveperhaps nonstandardTo 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.
1970, John H. Evans, Mercer County law journal, volume 102 more examples
Yes, and the door also lops off stairs leading to a landing on whose landing is another door on whose hinges much of this story ajars, if it hasn't jarred too much already.
1977, Bill Reed, DogodJust as the gates fully ajarred themselves, the Lamborghini soared through them, and out into the freedom of the poorly defined road.
2007, Loki, Shard of the Ancient
ajar2
- archaicnot comparableOut of harmony.
- not comparableBeing at variance or in contradiction to something.
There is a sort of unexpressed concern, / A kind of shock that sets one's heart ajar […].
1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, II.14
present singular third person ajars · participle present ajarring · participle past ajarred · past ajarred
- intransitiverareperhaps nonstandardTo 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.
1907, The English Illustrated Magazine, volume 36
Ajar3
plural Ajars
- Synonym of Adjaran.
During World War II Stalin drew up a plan for the deportation of the Muslim Ajars, but the plan was postponed and finally abandoned at his death in 1953.
1998, James Minahan, Miniature Empires: A Historical Dictionary of the Newly Independent States2 more examples
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 […]
1995, Timothy J. Colton, Robert C. Tucker, Patterns in Post-Soviet LeadershipOf these, the Georgian Ajars were the most eager to rise up against Russia, but the Ottomans also hoped for revolts in Daghestan and Azerbaijan upon entry of their troops.
2004, Tadeusz Swietochowski, Russian Azerbaijan, 1905-1920: The Shaping of a National Identity in a Muslim CommunitySynonyms: Adjaran
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of Adjaran.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveslightly open
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
ajar · adverb, adjective, verb
- Old Englishċierr, cyrr“turn”
- Middle Englishajar
- Englishajar
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.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →ajar · adverb, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂en-
- Proto-Germanic*an
- Proto-West Germanic*ana
- Old Englishon
- Middle Englishan
- Middle Englisha-
- Englisha-
- Englishjar
- Englishajar
From a- (“in, at”) + jar (“discord, disagreement”).
Full word history & related roots →Ajar · noun
- Georgianაჭარლები
- EnglishAjar
From Georgian აჭარლები (ač̣arlebi).
More words from Georgian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian открехнат, открехнат
- открехнат (otkrehnat)slightly turned or opened
- открехнат (otkrehnat)slightly turned or opened
Catalan adjar
- adjarmember of an ethnographic group of Georgians
Chinese Mandarin 虚掩地, 半开地
- 虚掩地 (xūyăn de)slightly turned or opened
- 半开地 (bànkāi de)slightly turned or opened
- 虚掩地 (xūyăn de)slightly turned or opened
- 半开地 (bànkāi de)slightly turned or opened
Czech pootevřený
- pootevřenýslightly turned or opened
Danish på klem, klem
- på klemslightly turned or opened
- klemslightly turned or opened
- på klemslightly turned or opened
Dutch op een kier, op een kier
- op een kierslightly turned or opened
- op een kierslightly turned or opened
Esperanto malfermete, malfermetita
- malfermeteslightly turned or opened
- malfermetitaslightly turned or opened
Finnish raollaan, raollaan
- raollaanslightly turned or opened
- raollaanslightly turned or opened
- ei sopusoinnussaBeing at variance or in contradiction to something
- erotaTo show variance
French entrouvert, entrebâillé
- entrouvertslightly turned or opened
- entrebâilléslightly turned or opened
- entrebâilléslightly turned or opened
- entrouvertslightly turned or opened
German angelehnt, angelehnt
- angelehntslightly turned or opened
- angelehntslightly turned or opened
Icelandic í hálfa gátt, opinn til hálfs
- í hálfa gáttslightly turned or opened
- opinn til hálfsslightly turned or opened
- opinn í hálfa gáttslightly turned or opened
- úr samræmiBeing at variance or in contradiction to something
- í ósamræmiBeing at variance or in contradiction to something
- úr taktiBeing at variance or in contradiction to something
Italian socchiuso
- socchiusoslightly turned or opened
Japanese 少し開いて
- 少し開いて (sukoshi aite)slightly turned or opened
Māori matata, matata
- matataslightly turned or opened
- matataslightly turned or opened
Norwegian Bokmål på gløtt, på gløtt
- på gløttslightly turned or opened
- på gløttslightly turned or opened
Persian نیمهلا, نیمهباز
- نیمهلا (nime-lâ)slightly turned or opened
- نیمهباز (nime-bâz)slightly turned or opened
Polish uchylony, niedomknięty
- uchylonyslightly turned or opened
- niedomkniętyslightly turned or opened
Portuguese entreaberto, entreaberto
- entreabertoslightly turned or opened
- entreabertoslightly turned or opened
Romanian întredeschis, întredeschis
- întredeschisslightly turned or opened
- întredeschisslightly turned or opened
Russian приоткры́тый, приоткры́тый
- приоткры́тый (priotkrýtyj)slightly turned or opened
- приоткры́тый (priotkrýtyj)slightly turned or opened
Slovak pootvorený, odchýlený
- pootvorenýslightly turned or opened
- odchýlenýslightly turned or opened
Spanish entreabiertamente, entornadamente
- entreabiertamenteslightly turned or opened
- entornadamenteslightly turned or opened
- entrecerradamenteslightly turned or opened
- juntadamenteslightly turned or opened
- entreabiertoslightly turned or opened
- entornadoslightly turned or opened
- entreajustadoslightly turned or opened
- entrecerradoslightly turned or opened
- juntadoslightly turned or opened
Swedish på glänt, på glänt
- på gläntslightly turned or opened
- på gläntslightly turned or opened
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with ajar
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
ajar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ajar
“ajar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ajar. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ajar,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ajar.
Source: ajar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.