cupboard

noun

cup·​board ˈkə-bərd 

: a closet with shelves where dishes, utensils, or food is kept

also : a small closet

Synonyms of cupboard

• pantry

Examples of cupboard in a Sentence

the colonial dining room features a double-door corner cupboard for the family's finest china

dishes go in the cupboard next to the sink

Recent Examples on the Web

Revitalift products have been in my mom’s bathroom cupboard for some time. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026

The front cupboard hatch door, meanwhile, folds down to access the interior and create another surface for work and storage. — New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2026

Her fiction is cluttered with bric-a-brac, bits and bobs, stuffed into boxes and drawers and cupboards—remnants of someone’s past. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2026

Still, paring down can declutter cupboards and lead to a smaller collection that'll actually get used. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cupboard

• airing cupboard
• skeletons in the/someone's cupboard

Kids Definition

cupboard

noun

cup·​board ˈkəb-ərd 

: a closet with shelves for cups, dishes, or food