
## landing

**/ ˈlændɪŋ /** &nbsp;·&nbsp; *noun, verb form* &nbsp;·&nbsp; C1

When you **land** something, you don't just receive it — you earn it. Through effort, persistence, and a little nerve. This word carries the whole story of trying and finally succeeding.

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## Meaning 1 — To achieve something through real effort

<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1521791136064-7986c2920216?w=630&q=80" alt="Two people shaking hands after landing a deal" style="width:100%;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0" />

**land** *(verb)* — to succeed in getting or winning something difficult.

This is the meaning you'll hear every day in conversation, business, and media. When someone **lands** something, they worked hard for it and it paid off.

> *"After six months of interviews, she finally **landed** the job."*

> *"The startup **landed** a £2M investment on their first pitch."*

> *"He **landed** the lead role after three auditions."*

The image comes from fishing. Landing a fish means you've done the full job: cast the line, kept the tension, reeled it in. You didn't just catch it — you **landed** it. The same logic applies to jobs, contracts, and opportunities.

**Common collocations:**

- **land a job** — the most frequent usage
- **land a deal / contract / client**
- **land a role / part** (theatre, film)
- **land an interview** — to secure a spot to interview
- **land a punch** — to successfully hit in boxing or a fight

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## Meaning 2 — To touch down from the air

<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1436491865332-7a61a109cc05?w=630&q=80" alt="An airplane landing on a runway at sunset" style="width:100%;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0" />

**landing** *(noun)* — the act of coming down and settling on the ground after being in the air.

> *"The pilot made a smooth **landing** despite the crosswinds."*

> *"We watched the spacecraft's **landing** live on television."*

As a noun, *landing* can also mean the flat area between two flights of stairs — *"Wait for me on the **landing**."* — or a historical military beach arrival, like the D-Day **landings**.

Even here, the core idea is the same: a journey that required skill and effort, completed successfully. A bad pilot crashes. A good pilot **lands**.

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## Synonyms — same idea, different shade

**secure** — more formal: *"She secured the position."*

**clinch** — strong, final: *"They clinched the deal."*

**nail** — emphatic: *"He nailed the interview."*

**bag** — informal, casual: *"She bagged the internship."*

**score** — informal, slightly lucky feel: *"He scored a great job."*

The difference: **land** implies the full arc from attempt to outcome. **Score** or **bag** feel luckier. **Secure** and **clinch** feel more deliberate and final.

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## Pronunciation

It's **LAN**-ding, not lan-**DING**. Stress on the first syllable.

The *a* is a short, open vowel: /æ/ — same as "cat" or "hand".

Full phonetic: **/ˈlændɪŋ/**

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> **"You don't just get it — you land it."**

*More words coming soon. Follow eLang for the next Word of the Day.*


To land something means to achieve it through real effort — landing a job, landing a deal, landing a role. Today we break down one of English's hardest-working words.

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Word of the Day: Landing

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Build your vocabulary, one word at a time

Word of the Day: Landing

Learn with eLang Extension

Build your vocabulary,
one word at a time