jugular

adjective/ˈdʒʌɡjələr/

Frequency rank: #16,025 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

Relating to the large veins in the neck that carry blood from the head back to the heart; often used figuratively to mean a critical or vulnerable point.

Illustration for the English word “jugular”

Example sentence

The surgeon had to carefully avoid the jugular vein during the delicate operation.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 16,001–16,100