Garage
Garage
Pronunciation
/ɡəˈrɑːʒ/ or /ˈɡærɑːʒ/
Syllable Breakdown
First Syllable (/ɡə/ or /ɡær/):
Consonant: /ɡ/ (voiced velar plosive) - as in "go"
Vowel: /ə/ (schwa) - as in "about" OR /æ/ (near-open front unrounded vowel) - as in "cat"
Consonant: /r/ (voiced alveolar approximant) - as in "run"
Second Syllable (/rɑːʒ/):
Consonant: /r/ (voiced alveolar approximant) - as in "run"
Vowel: /ɑː/ (open back unrounded vowel) - as in "arm"
Consonant: /ʒ/ (voiced postalveolar fricative) - as in "vision"
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: garage
Plural Noun: garages
Verb (base form): garage
Verb (third-person singular present): garages
Verb (present participle): garaging
Verb (past tense/past participle): garaged
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A building or a part of a building used for storing one or more motor vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, or boats, often attached to a house.
Synonyms: carport, car shed, coach house (archaic)
Antonyms: (none readily available)
Definition 2: A commercial establishment where vehicles are repaired, serviced, or sold. This can also refer to a gas station that includes repair services.
Synonyms: auto repair shop, service station, mechanic's shop, workshop
Antonyms: (none readily available)
Verb
Definition 1: To store or park a vehicle in a garage.
Synonyms: park, house, shelter, store
Antonyms: unpark, remove
Examples of Use
Books
In the children's book Busy Garage, toddlers can "push, pull and slide the tabs to fix the car at the Busy Garage!" (Pan Macmillan, August 2023). The book, part of the Busy Books series, features mechanics checking wires, testing lights, and washing a car.
The memoir The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls describes the family's early life, including their father's grand but ultimately unsuccessful plans to build a "fire-breathing dragon" in their garage.
In the novel The Martian by Andy Weir, the protagonist, an astronaut stranded on Mars, uses his engineering skills to "MacGyver" a solution, often compared to the kind of ingenuity associated with tinkering in a home garage.
Newspapers and Online Publications
A newspaper flyer for a garage sale lists various items for sale, including "kids toys, maternity clothes, indoor & outdoor household items, misc. office & crafts" (Englewood, OH, 2025). The ad notes that one family's "Garage is full! Come see us!"
An online article on home maintenance offers advice on how to organize a "messy garage," suggesting solutions for storage and decluttering to make the space more functional.
The publication Garage and MOT Magazine focuses on news and reviews for the automotive repair industry, with recent articles discussing new branch openings for auto parts suppliers and awards for mechanics (July 2025).
A blog post from Nairobi Garage, a co-working space, discusses the "future of business growth" and the benefits of flexible workspaces, using the term "garage" in its name to evoke a sense of innovation and starting a new venture (July 2025).
Entertainment
The television show Garage Rehab follows a team of experts who travel to different cities to help struggling automotive garages and repair shops, giving them a much-needed overhaul.
The movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off features an iconic scene where the main characters "garage" a stolen Ferrari, trying to conceal it and then trying to reverse the odometer.
The streaming service "Garage" is an online platform specializing in action and adventure sports films and television shows, boasting a comprehensive library of content (Garage Entertainment).
General Public Discourse
During a public debate about local zoning, a homeowner argued that her neighbor was "garaging too many cars on the street," causing a nuisance and a safety hazard in the neighborhood.
The term "garage band" is commonly used to describe a musical group that practices in a home garage, often at an early stage of their career and with a DIY, unpolished sound.
A well-known idiom in the tech world is the "garage startup," referring to a company that began its life in a small, humble space like a residential garage, a nod to the origins of companies like Apple and Hewlett-Packard.
10 Famous Quotes Using Garage
"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a car." (Billy Sunday)
"Woz and I started Apple in my parents' garage when I was 20." (Steve Jobs)
"The slogan of progress is changing from the full dinner pail to the full garage." (Herbert Hoover)
"Every woman should have four pets in her life. A mink in her closet, a jaguar in her garage, a tiger in her bed, and a jackass who pays for everything." (Paris Hilton)
"One of my books is a hallucinogen, an aphrodisiac, a mood elevator, an intellectual garage door opener, and a metaphysical trash compactor." (Tom Robbins)
"Happiness comes from a good job, being able to feed your wife and kids... I dream the American dream - two cars in a garage, be a happy father." (Barry Sanders)
"Standing in a garage no more makes you a car than standing in a church makes you a Christian." (Woody Allen)
"Take care of your car in the garage, and the car will take care of you on the road." (Amit Kalantri)
"Every morning, I crawl out of bed... And I drag myself to the gym in my garage." (Sylvester Stallone)
"You don't have to live in a garage to write great poetry." (Felix Dennis)
Etymology
The word "garage" comes to English from the French word "garage", which means "to shelter" or "to store." The French word itself is derived from the verb "garer," meaning "to shelter," "to protect," or "to dock."
The word's journey into English began in the early 20th century. As the automobile became more popular, a new word was needed to describe the place where these cars were kept. Before the widespread use of cars, people used words like "coach house" or "carriage house" for their horse-drawn vehicles.
The first known use of "garage" in English was around 1902, and it was used to mean exactly what it does today: a building or a part of a building where motor vehicles are stored. This new term quickly replaced older ones as the automobile industry boomed and the need for a dedicated space to "store" or "shelter" a car became a common necessity. So, in a way, the word's meaning has remained very consistent since its adoption into English.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Garage
Garage sale: A sale of used household goods, clothing, and other items held at a person's home, typically in their garage.
Garage band: A musical group, typically with a raw or unpolished sound, that practices in a garage.
Garage startup: A business or company that began its life in a small, humble setting, such as a residential garage.
A car in every garage: An aspirational phrase representing the American dream of prosperity and ownership.
The last mile to the garage: An idiom referring to the final, often challenging, stage of a task or project.
To put something in the garage: To postpone or set aside a project or idea for later, suggesting it's not a current priority.
Workshop of dreams: A phrase used to describe a garage where someone pursues their passions, hobbies, or inventions.
Garage door diplomacy: A humorous, informal term for a casual, neighborly chat or negotiation that takes place outside a garage.
Full garage, empty wallet: A saying used to describe a situation where someone has many material possessions but little money.
Garage logic: A term for a practical, common-sense approach to problem-solving, often without formal training or tools.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of Garage from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
