metropolis

noun

mə-ˈträ-p(ə-)ləs How to pronounce metropolis (audio)
Definition of metropolisnext
as in city
a thickly settled, highly populated area a big, teeming metropolis where ambitious people from all over come to make their mark

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of metropolis Davis, his wife and kids painted the picture of a family that had deep, meaningful connections to the heartbeat of this burgeoning southern metropolis in NASCAR country that, like so many cities, places its sports stars on a pedestal. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 Its capital, Panama City, is a thriving metropolis largely powered by industries stemming from the Panama Canal, like banking and maritime services. — Demarco Williams, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 As well as the life sentence, Hui was also ordered to forfeit his personal assets and was stripped of all political rights, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported, citing a verdict handed down by a court in the southern metropolis of Shenzhen. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 The sensitivity of the JWST has allowed astronomers to finally give these smaller stars a chance to shine and stand out, like spotting an incredible piece of architecture in a vast metropolis of glass and steel. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for metropolis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metropolis
  1. city
  2. town
Noun
  • Multiple agencies from surrounding cities helped with the investigation.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The relief was palpable in the Thai resort city of Pattaya on Wednesday as service members disembarked for a night on the town.
    — Sam Winslade, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of city
Noun
  • Her body was found Monday morning in the waters near Hagley Landing, a boat ramp leading to the Waccamaw River in the small town of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, following an extensive search involving hundreds of people and multiple agencies.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In her latest book, Stay Buried, siblings new to a remote Vermont town discover that the locals live in fear of a vengeful spirit.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of town

Browse Nearby Words

metronomic
metropolis
metropolises
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Metropolis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metropolis. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on metropolis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about metropolis

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All