🇬🇧🇨🇳 fortress - 堡垒 : English Lesson

Meaning of "fortress" ("堡垒"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

A fortress is a big, tough building or group of buildings made to keep people safe from enemies. Its walls are thick and strong so it’s hard to break in. Long ago, kings and soldiers stayed in fortresses during battles, because they were like giant, stone shields around a town or a castle.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

My room is my fortress, which is why I scream when someone tries to invade it with a vacuum cleaner.

Our snow fortress had tiny snow toilets, which was a mistake, because someone tried to actually use one.

The sand fortress I built at the beach was so tall that tiny crabs probably thought it was their new city hall.

The angry goose guarded the playground like it was a top-secret fortress that only geese were allowed in.

We built a fortress out of books, so technically we were protected by knowledge and hardcover armor.

The village bell screamed; people ran to the stone fortress on the hill. Children pressed close as the fortress gate crashed shut. Arrows struck the fortress walls; a tired dog shook off dust. Inside the fortress, guards climbed the fortress tower, faces tight. At dawn the fortress stood scarred but whole; the village cheered.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.