English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

harrowing

adj

Extremely distressing or disturbing.

harry

verb

To repeatedly bother, pressure, or harass someone.

harsh

adj

Unpleasantly rough, severe, or unforgiving — used for weather, conditions, sounds, or treatment.

harshly

adv

In a severe, rough, or unkind way.

harshness

noun

The quality of being harsh, rough, or severe.

hart

noun

An adult male deer, especially a mature male red deer.

hartebeest

noun

A type of antelope that lives on open grassland in parts of Africa.

Hartford

name

The capital city of Connecticut, and a surname and place name found across England and the United States.

hartley

noun

A unit of information equal to the amount contained in one decimal digit (i.e., a choice among ten equally likely outcomes).

Hartman

name

A surname of Dutch and Low German origin.

Hartmann

name

A surname of German origin.

Haru

name

A unisex Japanese given name, often meaning "spring" or "clear weather."

Haruhi

name

A Japanese feminine given name, often written with characters meaning "spring" and "sun."

Haruko

name

A Japanese feminine given name meaning "spring child."

Harumi

name

A Japanese feminine given name meaning "spring beauty."

harumph

intj

Used to show scorn, disbelief, or that you refuse or dismiss something.

Harun

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, the Arabic form of Aaron.

Haruna

name

A Japanese feminine given name, often meaning "spring vegetable" or "spring companion."

Haruo

name

A Japanese masculine given name meaning "spring man."

Harv

name

A masculine given name, typically a short form of Harvey or Harvard.

Harvard

name

A surname and place name, best known as the name of Harvard University in Massachusetts, the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

harvest

noun

The gathering in of a ripe crop, or the crop itself once gathered.

harvester

noun

A person or machine that gathers a crop.

harvesting

noun

The act of gathering a ripe crop or, more broadly, collecting any resource.

harvestman

noun

A person, especially a man, who works to gather in the crops at harvest time.

Harvey

name

A masculine given name and surname of French and Breton origin, meaning "battle worthy."

Harwood

name

An English surname and place name, originally denoting someone who lived near a "grey wood" or hare-inhabited wood.

Hasan

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "handsome" or "good."

haschisch

noun

An archaic spelling of hashish.

Hasegawa

name

A Japanese surname meaning "long river valley."

hash

noun

A dish of chopped meat and vegetables (often potatoes) fried together.

hasheesh

noun

A rare spelling of hashish.

Hashimoto

name

A Japanese surname meaning "bridge base," referring to the foot of a bridge.

hashing

noun

The process of computing a hash value from data using a mathematical function.

hashish

noun

A concentrated resin extracted from the cannabis plant, typically smoked or eaten.

hashtag

noun

A word or phrase preceded by a # sign, used to tag and group posts on social media.

Haskell

name

An English surname, also used as a given name; also the name of a purely functional programming language.

Haskins

name

An English surname, a patronymic form derived from Haskin, itself a diminutive of Haskell.

Hassan

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "handsome" or "good," a variant spelling of Hasan.

Hasselhoff

name

A surname of German origin, most familiar as the surname of actor David Hasselhoff.

hassium

noun

An artificially produced chemical element with the symbol Hs and atomic number 108.

hassle

noun

A source of trouble, bother, or minor annoyance.

hassling

noun

Repeated pestering or bothering.

hassock

noun

A thick clump of grass or other plants growing close together.

Hast

verb

Archaic second-person singular form of "have" (used with "thou").

hasta

intj

Informal way of saying goodbye, short for "hasta luego" or "hasta la vista."

hasta luego

interjection

Spanish for 'see you later', used as a casual goodbye to someone you expect to see again.

haste

noun

Speed or urgency in doing something, often at the cost of care.

hasten

verb

To move or act quickly, or to make something happen sooner.

hastening

noun

The process of becoming quicker, or making something happen sooner.

hastily

adv

In a rushed or hurried way, often without enough care.

hastiness

noun

Doing something too quickly, without enough care or thought.

Hastings

name

A town on the south coast of England, site of the famous 1066 battle, and a surname derived from it.

hasty

adj

Done too quickly, without enough thought or care.

hat

noun

A covering worn on the head, often with a brim.

hat-trick

noun

Three goals scored by the same player in a single match, especially in football or hockey.

hatable

adj

Easy to hate, or deserving to be hated.

hatbrim

noun

The brim of a hat.

hatch

noun

A small door or opening, often in a floor, ceiling, wall, or vehicle.

hatchback

noun

A car with a rear door that swings upward to open, giving access to the boot/trunk area.

Hatched

adj

(US, informal) Sacked from a government job for breaking the rules on political activity by civil servants.

hatcher

noun

A person, animal, or device that hatches eggs.

hatchery

noun

A (commercial) facility where eggs, especially those of fish or poultry, are hatched under artificial conditions.

hatchet

noun

A small hand axe with a short handle.

hatching

noun

The process of an egg producing young, or a group of animals born from eggs at the same time.

hatchling

noun

A young animal, such as a bird or reptile, that has just come out of its egg.

hate

verb

To dislike someone or something intensely.

hated

adj

Strongly disliked; despised.

hateful

adj

Full of hatred, or causing others to feel hatred.

hater

noun

Someone who hates or strongly dislikes something.

hatful

noun

As much as a hat can hold.

Hathaway

name

An English surname, historically meaning "dweller by the path across the heath."

Hathorne

name

An English surname, an older spelling of Hawthorne, referring to the hawthorn tree.

hating

noun

The act of feeling or showing hatred; hating something or someone.

hatmaker

name

A surname that began as an occupational name.

hatred

noun

An intense, deep-seated dislike or hostility toward someone or something.

hats off

phrase

Used to express admiration or respect for what someone has achieved.

hatstand

noun

A stand for hanging hats on, made of an upright pole on a steady base with hooks or pegs.

hatter

noun

A person whose trade is making or selling hats.

Hattie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Harriet.

Hatton

name

An English surname and place name, meaning "heath settlement."

Hattori

name

A Japanese surname historically associated with textile weaving and, famously, with ninja lineage.

hatty

adj

Connected with, or similar to, a hat.

Hau

name

A short surname and given name found in Vietnamese and Chinese usage, among other origins.

haughtiness

noun

Arrogant, snobbish behaviour that shows someone thinks they are better than others.

haughty

adj

Acting as if one is better than others; arrogantly proud and disdainful.

haul

verb

To pull or drag something heavy, often over a distance.

haulage

noun

The action of pulling or dragging something heavy.

hauler

noun

A person or thing that pulls or drags something else along.

haulier

noun

A person or company engaged in the haulage of goods.

hauling

noun

The business or act of transporting goods, especially by truck.

haunch

noun

The hip, buttock and top of the thigh together, on one side of the body, especially in an animal that can sit back on its haunches.

haunt

verb

Of a ghost or spirit, to appear regularly in a particular place.

haunted

adj

Said of a place, believed to be regularly visited by a ghost.

haunting

adj

Sticking in the mind in a way that's hard to shake off, often with an eerie or poignant quality.

Hauptmann

name

A German surname meaning "captain" or "chief man."

hausen

noun

The European sturgeon, Huso huso.

Hauser

name

A German surname, an occupational name for someone who managed a house or household.

hautbois

noun

A type of organ stop made up of pipes with reeds.

hautboy

noun

An oboe, or a similar treble instrument with a double reed.

haute

adj

Of the highest standard or fashion, especially in cooking or clothing design; borrowed directly from French.

Havana

noun

A type of large, high-quality cigar traditionally made in Cuba.

have

verb

To own or possess something.

Havel

name

A Czech surname and river name; also the name of Václav Havel, the Czech playwright and statesman.

haven

noun

A place of safety or shelter from danger or trouble.

haver

verb

To hesitate and be unable to decide what to say or do.

Haverford

name

An English place name and surname, meaning "ford where goats cross."

havering

noun

The state of being unable to make up your mind.

haversack

noun

A small, sturdy bag, usually with just one strap, carried on the back or shoulder, originally made of canvas.

haves

noun

Wealthy or privileged people, especially when contrasted with those who lack money or power.

having

noun

The act or state of owning or possessing something.

haviour

noun

A person's manner or way of behaving.

Havisham

name

An English surname, best known as the name of Miss Havisham, a character in Charles Dickens's novel "Great Expectations."

havishamesque

adj

Unwilling to move on from the past, or to accept that things have changed or gone wrong.

havoc

noun

Widespread destruction, chaos, or disorder.

haw

noun

The small red fruit of the hawthorn tree.

Hawaii

name

A US state made up of a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, capital Honolulu.

Hawaiian

adj

Relating to Hawaii, its people, or its culture.

Hawes

name

An English surname and place name, originally referring to someone who lived near hedges or enclosures.

hawfinch

noun

A large Eurasian finch with a thick, heavy bill.

hawk

noun

A medium-sized bird of prey that hunts other animals from the air.

Hawke

name

An English surname, a variant of Hawk, originally a nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird.

hawker

noun

A person who sells goods in the street or from place to place, often calling out to attract buyers.

Hawkes

name

An English surname, a variant of Hawke or Hawkes, linked to the hawk.

Hawkeye

noun

An informal nickname for someone from the US state of Iowa.

hawking

noun

The act of selling goods in the street, or the practice of hunting with trained hawks.

hawkish

adjective

Favouring forceful or aggressive action, particularly military force or a hard line in foreign policy, rather than negotiation.

Hawks

name

An English surname derived from "hawk," often an occupational name for a falconer.

hawkshaw

name

The name of a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England (OS grid ref SD7515).

Hawley

name

An English surname and place name, meaning "hedged clearing" or "hawthorn meadow."

hawser

noun

A strong, heavy rope or cable used when towing a ship or tying it up at berth.

hawt

adj

A pronunciation or leetspeak spelling of hot (any sense).

hawthorn

noun

A thorny shrub or small tree (genus Crataegus) with small, apple-like fruits, often used for hedging.

Hawthorne

name

An English surname taken from the hawthorn tree, notably borne by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.

hay

noun

Grass that has been cut and dried, used as feed for animals.

Hayashi

name

A Japanese surname meaning "forest" or "woods."

Hayat

name

A unisex given name of Arabic origin meaning "life."

Hayato

name

A Japanese masculine given name often meaning "falcon person," suggesting swiftness or bravery.

Hayden

name

A surname, and a popular unisex given name, originally from an English place name meaning "hay valley."

Haydn

name

A German surname, most famously belonging to the composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).

haydon

name

One of five places in England, including a north-west Dorset hamlet and civil parish, a southern Northumberland civil parish, and a Radstock parish, Bath and North East Somerset village.

haye

noun

A shark, a fish whose skeleton is made of cartilage.

Hayek

name

A surname of Central European origin, borne by economist Friedrich Hayek and actress Salma Hayek.

Hayes

name

An English or Irish surname, and a given name, also used for several towns in England and the US.

hayfield

name

A village and civil parish in High Peak borough, Derbyshire, England (OS grid ref SK0386).

haylee

name

A female first name taken from the surname, a variant of Hayley.

Hayley

name

A feminine given name of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "hay meadow."

hayloft

noun

The upper floor of a barn where hay is stored.

Haynes

name

An English surname, a variant of Haines, derived from a Germanic personal name or a place name.

hayride

noun

A recreational ride, often at night, taken sitting in a wagon or trailer loaded with hay.