English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

headlight

noun

A lamp mounted on the front of a vehicle to light the road ahead when driving in the dark.

headline

noun

The bold title printed above a newspaper or magazine article, summarizing its content.

headliner

noun

The best-known performer at a concert or show, usually appearing last on the bill.

headlock

noun

A wrestling hold in which one person clamps an arm tightly around another's head so they can't easily break free.

headlong

adv

Head first, or with reckless, unrestrained speed.

Headman

noun

The recognized leader of a village, tribe, or small community, especially in traditional or tribal societies.

headmaster

noun

A man who is the head teacher in charge of running a school.

headmistress

noun

A woman who is the head teacher in charge of running a school.

headphones

noun

A pair of small speakers worn over or in the ears so only the wearer hears the sound.

headpiece

noun

A decorative or protective covering worn on the head, such as part of a costume or a helmet.

headquarter

verb

To give an organization or operation its main base of operations in a particular place.

headquarters

noun

An organization's main office, from which its operations or leadership are run.

heads

intj

A shouted warning that something is falling or about to hit someone from above.

headset

noun

A combined pair of headphones and a microphone, worn on the head for calls, gaming, or broadcasting.

headshot

noun

A close-up photograph of a person's face and shoulders, often used professionally.

headstone

noun

A stone marker placed at the head of a grave, usually inscribed with the name and dates of the deceased.

headstrong

adj

Stubbornly determined to do things one's own way, ignoring advice or objections.

headway

noun

Progress made toward completing something.

heady

adj

Strongly affecting the senses or mind, as with a powerful drink or an exciting situation.

heal

verb

To make well again after illness or injury; to recover.

healer

noun

A person who treats or cures illness, especially through non-conventional or spiritual means.

Healey

name

An Irish and English surname, an anglicized form of a Gaelic name meaning "ingenious."

healing

noun

The body's process of repairing itself after injury or illness.

health

noun

The condition of being free from illness or injury; overall physical or mental well-being.

healthy

adj

In good physical or mental condition; free from illness.

Healy

name

An Irish surname, a variant spelling of Healey, from the Gaelic Ó hÉalaithe.

heap

noun

A pile of things gathered or thrown together.

heaped

adj

Piled up, or filled generously above the rim.

heaps

adv

Informal: very much, or a large amount.

hear

verb

To perceive sound through the ears.

heard

adj

Past tense and past participle of hear; perceived by ear.

hearing

noun

The sense used to perceive sound.

Hearn

name

An English and Irish surname, often derived from a place name meaning "heron" or a personal name.

hearsay

noun

Information passed along secondhand that hasn't been confirmed or verified.

hearse

noun

A vehicle specially built to carry a coffin to a funeral or burial.

Hearst

noun

(archaic, hunting) A female deer in her second or third year.

heart

noun

The muscular organ that pumps blood through the body, traditionally seen as the seat of emotion.

heartache

noun

Deep emotional pain or sorrow, especially from losing or being separated from someone you love.

heartbeat

noun

A single pulse of the heart, or the steady rhythm of the heart pumping.

heartbreak

noun

Intense sadness or grief, especially after losing someone or something you loved deeply.

heartbreaker

noun

Someone who attracts romantic interest but doesn't return it, leaving others hurt.

heartbreaking

adj

Causing intense sadness or grief.

heartbroken

adj

Overwhelmed with grief, especially after a relationship ends or a loss occurs.

heartburn

noun

A burning sensation in the chest caused by stomach acid rising into the throat.

hearted

adj

Having a particular kind of heart or disposition (used in combination, as in "kind-hearted" or "cold-hearted").

heartfelt

adj

Sincerely and deeply felt.

hearth

noun

The floor or area around a fireplace, often used to represent home and family life.

heartily

adv

In a warm, enthusiastic, or wholehearted way.

heartland

noun

The central region of a country or area, especially one seen as culturally or politically central.

heartless

adj

Lacking compassion or feeling for others; cruel.

hearts

noun

One of the four suits in a standard deck of playing cards, marked with a red heart symbol.

heartstrings

noun

A person's deepest emotions, especially feelings of love or compassion.

heartthrob

noun

A very attractive, famous person, especially an actor or singer, who is widely admired romantically.

hearty

adj

Warm, enthusiastic, and genuine.

heat

noun

The energy or sensation of high temperature; warmth.

heated

adj

Made warm, often by a built-in system.

heater

noun

A device that produces warmth, used to heat a room, building, or object.

heath

noun

An open, uncultivated stretch of land, typically with sandy soil and low shrubs like heather.

Heathcliff

name

A masculine given name, famous as the brooding romantic hero of Emily Brontë's novel "Wuthering Heights."

Heathen

noun

Historically, a person who does not follow one of the major world religions; more recently, a follower of modern pagan Heathenry.

heather

noun

A low evergreen shrub with small purple, pink, or white flowers, common on moorland.

Heathrow

name

A major international airport west of London.

heating

noun

A system used to warm a building or room.

heats

noun

A spell of hot weather.

heave

verb

To lift, pull, or throw something heavy with a lot of effort.

heaven

noun

In many religions, the place where God, gods, or the blessed dead are believed to dwell.

heavenly

adj

Relating to heaven or the sky.

heavens

intj

An exclamation of surprise or exasperation.

heavily

adv

To a great degree or extent.

heaviness

noun

The quality of being heavy; weight.

heaving

adj

Informal: very crowded.

heavy

adj

Having great weight; hard to lift or carry.

heavyweight

noun

The highest weight class in boxing and similar combat sports, or a competitor in that class.

Hebrew

noun

A member of the ancient Semitic people descended from the biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Hebrews

name

A book of the New Testament, written as a letter to Jewish Christians.

Hebrides

name

A group of islands off the west coast of Scotland, split into the Inner and Outer Hebrides.

Hecate

name

A Greek goddess associated with magic, crossroads, and the moon.

heck

interjection

A mild, family-friendly substitute for "hell," used to express frustration or surprise.

heckle

verb

To interrupt a speaker or performer with mocking comments or aggressive questions.

Heckler

name

A German surname, an occupational name related to combing or carding flax; also a common noun for a person who interrupts a speaker with jeers.

heckling

noun

The act of shouting mocking comments or aggressive questions at a speaker or performer.

hectic

adjective

Extremely busy, rushed, and full of activity, often to a stressful degree.

hector

verb

To bully or intimidate someone through loud, aggressive bluster.

hedge

noun

A row of closely planted bushes or shrubs forming a barrier or boundary.

hedgehog

verb

To curl into a tight defensive ball, or to set up spiky defenses, the way a hedgehog protects itself.

Hedges

name

An English surname, originally denoting someone who lived near a hedge or hedgerow.

Hedley

name

An English surname and place name meaning "heathery clearing."

Hedwig

noun

A German female given name.

hee

interjection

A sound imitating laughter, often written doubled as "hee hee."

heed

verb

To pay close attention to advice or a warning and take it seriously.

heel

noun

The rounded back part of the foot, or the corresponding part of a shoe or sock.

heels

noun

Shoes with raised, elevated backs, typically worn by women.

heer

noun

A historical unit for measuring a length of yarn, equal to six hundred yards, used before yarn was measured in standardized metric units.

Hef

name

A masculine nickname, most famously the shortened form of Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy magazine.

Heffernan

name

An Irish surname, an anglicized form of a Gaelic name meaning "descendant of the sighing one."

Hefner

name

A German-American surname, notably borne by Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy magazine.

hefty

adjective

Large, heavy, and solidly built; substantial in size or weight.

Hegel

name

A German surname, famous as that of philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

heh

interjection

A written representation of a short, mild laugh, often used online to show quiet amusement rather than genuine hilarity.

hehe

interjection

A written imitation of a soft, often slightly mischievous or teasing giggle.

Heidelberg

name

A city in southwestern Germany, known for its historic university and castle.

Heidi

name

A feminine given name of German and Swiss origin, a diminutive of Adelheid, meaning "noble."

heifer

noun

A young female cow that has not yet given birth to a calf.

height

noun

The measurement of how tall something or someone is, from base to top.

heighten

verb

To increase the intensity, degree, or effect of something.

heightened

adjective

Made more intense or noticeable than usual.

heights

noun

A neighborhood or area situated on elevated or hilly ground, often used in place names.

heil

verb

To greet someone with the raised-arm "Sieg Heil" salute, historically associated with Nazi Germany.

Heimlich

noun

Short for the Heimlich maneuver, an emergency first-aid technique that uses abdominal thrusts to dislodge an object blocking someone's airway.

Hein

name

A German and Dutch surname and given name, a short form of Heinrich.

Heineken

noun

Informal, jokey use of the brand name to mean something that reaches or affects places or people that other, similar things cannot, echoing an old advertising slogan.

heinie

noun

Informal American slang for a person's buttocks.

heinous

adjective

Shockingly evil or wicked, especially describing a crime.

Heinrich

name

A German masculine given name meaning "home ruler."

Heinz

noun

In poker slang, a starting hand made up of a five and a seven, playfully named after the "57 Varieties" slogan of the Heinz food brand.

heir

noun

A person legally entitled to inherit someone's property, money, or title after they die.

heiress

noun

A woman who is due to inherit, or has already inherited, significant wealth or property.

heirloom

noun

A valued item, often jewelry, furniture, or a keepsake, that has been passed down within a family across generations.

Heisenberg

name

A German surname, best known through physicist Werner Heisenberg, who formulated the uncertainty principle.

heist

noun

A robbery, especially a carefully planned one targeting a bank, museum, or similar institution.

Hel

noun

In Norse mythology, the goddess who presides over the realm of those who died without dying in battle.

Helen

name

The daughter of Zeus and Leda, considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world; her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War.

Helena

name

A female given name of Greek origin, also the name of the capital city of Montana.

Helene

name

A female given name of Greek origin, a variant of Helen.

Helga

name

A female given name of Scandinavian origin.

helicopter

noun

An aircraft lifted and moved by one or more sets of rotating overhead blades, letting it hover, fly in any direction, or land vertically.

Helios

name

In Greek mythology, the god who personifies the sun, said to drive his chariot across the sky each day.

helipad

noun

A small, dedicated landing and takeoff area for helicopters.

helium

noun

A colorless, odorless, chemically inert gas, the second-lightest element, used to fill balloons and cool superconducting equipment.

helix

noun

A three-dimensional spiral curve, like the shape of a screw thread or a spiral staircase.

hell

noun

In many religions, the place of punishment for the wicked after death.

hella

adv

Informal: very, extremely, or a lot — used to intensify an adjective or verb.

hellcat

noun

A fierce, spiteful, or violently bad-tempered person, historically used especially of women.

Helle

name

In Greek mythology, a princess who fled her stepmother on a flying golden ram and fell into the strait later named after her, the Hellespont.

heller

noun

A small coin once used in Germany and Central Europe, and later a subunit of the Czech and Slovak koruna.

hellfire

adj

Relating to fiery, apocalyptic warnings of divine punishment, especially in preaching.

hellhole

noun

A place marked by extreme misery, squalor, or unpleasantness.

hellish

adj

Resembling or relating to hell; infernal.

hellman

noun

Informal: someone who acts recklessly or without fear, a daredevil.

hello

intj

A common greeting said when meeting someone or answering the phone.

hells

intj

An exclamation of frustration or surprise, used the same way as "hell".

helluva

adj

Informal: remarkable, impressive, or extreme — a slurred form of "a hell of a".

helm

noun

The wheel or tiller used to steer a ship; more broadly, the position of control or leadership.

Helmand

name

A river in Afghanistan, and the province named after it.

helmer

noun

Informal, especially in the film industry: a director, someone who "helms" a production.

helmet

noun

A hard protective covering worn on the head, especially during sports, combat, or dangerous work.

helmsman

noun

The person who steers a ship.

helo

noun

An informal, especially military, word for a helicopter.

Heloise

name

A female given name of French origin.

help

noun

Assistance or aid given to accomplish something.