Hair — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈher/

Meaning & Definition of Hair

Hair (noun)

  1. a slender threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis of an animal; especially, one of the usually pigmented filaments that form the characteristic coat of a mammal
  2. the hairy covering of an animal or a body part; especially, the coating of hairs on a human head
  3. haircloth

Hair (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a very small distance or degree

    "a race that was won by a hair"

    similar: ace, hairbreadth, hairline, hop, skip, and jump, inch, neck, shouting distance, step, stone's throw
    related: bit, crumb, dab, iota, jot, minim, mite, particle, smidgen, trace, trifle
    opposite: country mile, long haul, mile
    near: infinity, light-year

  2. a thin, flexible structure that resembles a hair

    "discovered hairs on the plant's stem"

    similar: bristle, fiber, filament, thread
    related: microfiber, cord, rope, string, wire, yarn, fuzz, tuft

  3. the hairy covering of a mammal especially when fine, soft, and thick

    "has no hair, but wears a wig"

    "a coat made of camel's hair"

    similar: coat, fleece, fur, jacket, pelage, pile, wool
    related: undercoat, underfur, hide, leather, pelt, skin

Related Entry: Hair-raiser (noun)

Hair-raiser is a different word from Hair. The synonyms below are for hair-raiser, not for hair.

  1. something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome

    "since they had been dating for five years, her answer to his proposal wasn't exactly a hair-raiser"

    similar: cliff-hanger, nail-biter, suspenser, thriller
    related: photo finish, squeaker
    near: yawner, blowout

Related Entry: Hair-raising (adjective)

Hair-raising is a different word from Hair. The synonyms below are for hair-raising, not for hair.

  1. causing fear

    "hair-raising stories of headless corpses and disembodied screams"

    similar: alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying
    related: daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, startling, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving, bone-chilling, creepy, eerie, weird, appalling, atrocious, awful, grisly, gruesome, hideous, horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish
    near: calming, comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, quieting, reassuring, relaxing, soothing, tranquilizing, nonintimidating, nonthreatening

  2. causing great emotional or mental stimulation

    "a theme park that is legendary for its lightning-fast roller-coaster and other hair-raising rides"

    similar: breathtaking, charged, electric, electrifying, exciting, exhilarating, exhilarative, galvanic, galvanizing, heart-stopping, inspiring, intoxicating, kicky, mind-bending, mind-blowing, mind-boggling, rip-roaring, rousing, stimulating, stirring, thrilling
    related: arresting, interesting, intriguing, provocative, tantalizing, titillating, absorbing, engrossing, gripping, riveting, moving, poignant, touching, enchanting, enthralling, fascinating, spellbinding, dynamic, energetic, high-voltage, kinetic, lively, lusty
    opposite: unexciting
    near: boring, mind-numbing, tedious, tiresome, dreary, dull, humdrum, monotonous, uninteresting

Related Entry: Hair shirt (noun)

Hair shirt is a different word from Hair. The synonyms below are for hair shirt, not for hair.

  1. something that is a source of irritation

    "the constant need to cut costs was a hair shirt, but one that the theater company had to live with"

    similar: aggravation, aggro (British), annoyance, bother, botheration, bugbear, exasperation, frustration, hassle, headache, inconvenience, irk, irritant, nuisance, peeve, pest, rub, ruffle, thorn, trial, vexation
    related: discomfort, fleabite, pinprick, affront, insult, offense, upset, worry, affliction, albatross, burden, cross, curse, menace, millstone, plague, sore, anxiety, plight, predicament, tribulation, trouble, hang-up, pet peeve, problem, annoyer, disturber, harasser, mischief, offender, pandora's box
    near: delight, joy, pleasure

Related Entry: Hair-trigger (adjective)

Hair-trigger is a different word from Hair. The synonyms below are for hair-trigger, not for hair.

  1. as in hypersensitive, oversensitive

    similar: hyperacute, hypersensitive, oversensitive, supersensitive, accurate, clear, discerning, good, piercing, precise, receptive, sensible, subtle, acute, delicate, fine, keen, perceptive, quick, sensitive, sharp
    opposite: bad, deadened, dimmed, dull, dulled, fading, dead, imperceptive, insensible, insensitive, numb, imprecise, inaccurate

Related Entry: Hair-raisers (noun)

Hair-raisers is a different word from Hair. The synonyms below are for hair-raisers, not for hair.

  1. something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome

    "since they had been dating for five years, her answer to his proposal wasn't exactly a hair-raiser"

    similar: cliff-hangers, nail-biters, suspensers, thrillers
    related: photo finishes, squeakers
    near: yawners, blowouts

Related Entry: Hair shirts (noun)

Hair shirts is a different word from Hair. The synonyms below are for hair shirts, not for hair.

  1. something that is a source of irritation

    "the constant need to cut costs was a hair shirt, but one that the theater company had to live with"

    similar: aggravations, aggros (British), annoyances, botherations, bothers, bugbears, exasperations, frustrations, hassles, headaches, inconveniences, irks, irritants, nuisances, peeves, pests, rubs, ruffles, thorns, trials, vexations
    related: discomforts, fleabites, pinpricks, affronts, insults, offenses, upsets, worries, afflictions, albatross, burdens, crosses, curses, menaces, millstones, plagues, sores, anxieties, plights, predicaments, tribulations, troubles, hang-ups, pet peeves, problems, annoyers, disturbers, harassers, mischiefs, offenders, pandora's boxes
    near: delights, joys, pleasures

Related Entry: Tear one's hair (phrase)

Tear one's hair is a different word from Hair. The synonyms below are for tear one's hair, not for hair.

  1. to feel deep sadness or mental pain

    "He was tearing his hair out when the computer started acting up again."

    similar: agonize, anguish, bleed, grieve, hurt, mourn, sorrow, suffer, eat one's heart out
    related: ache, long (for), pine (away), sigh, smart, rack, torment, torture, bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament, rue, bawl, blubber, cry, groan, howl, keen, moan, sob, take on, wail, weep, yammer, yowl, languish, regret
    near: beam, cheer, crow, delight, exult, glory, joy, laugh, ravish, rejoice, triumph, assure, comfort, commiserate, console, reassure, solace, soothe, sympathize

Related Entry: Big hair (noun)

Big hair is a different word from Hair. The synonyms below are for big hair, not for hair.

  1. as in bun, updo

    similar: beehive, bun, chignon, French twist, pageboy, pug, updo, upsweep, conk, perm, permanent, bob, buzz cut, crew cut, crop, fade, Mohawk, shag, shingle, trim, coiffure, cut, do, haircut, hairdo, hairstyle, braid, pigtail, plait, ponytail, queue, comb-over, ducktail, pompadour, roach

Related Entry: Torn one's hair (phrase)

Torn one's hair is a different word from Hair. The synonyms below are for torn one's hair, not for hair.

  1. to feel deep sadness or mental pain

    "He was tearing his hair out when the computer started acting up again."

    similar: agonized, anguished, bled, grieved, hurt, mourned, sorrowed, suffered, eaten one's heart out
    related: ached, longed (for), pined (away), sighed, smarted, racked, tormented, tortured, bemoaned, bewailed, deplored, lamented, rued, bawled, blubbered, cried, groaned, howled, keened, moaned, sobbed, taken on, wailed, wept, yammered, yowled, languished, regretted
    near: beamed, cheered, crowed, delighted, exulted, gloried, joyed, laughed, ravished, rejoiced, triumphed, assured, comforted, commiserated, consoled, reassured, solaced, soothed, sympathized

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hair

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hair:

ace, hairbreadth, hairline, hop, skip, and jump, inch, neck, shouting distance, step, stone's throw, bristle, fiber, filament, thread, coat, fleece, fur, jacket, pelage, pile, wool

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Hair

Words with the opposite meaning of Hair:

country mile, long haul, mile

Related Words for Hair

bit, crumb, dab, iota, jot, minim, mite, particle, smidgen, trace, trifle, microfiber, cord, rope, string, wire, yarn, fuzz, tuft, undercoat, underfur, hide, leather, pelt, skin

Near Antonyms of Hair

infinity, light-year

Word Forms of Hair

Derived words: hairless (adjective), hairlessness (noun), hairlike (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Hair

Middle English, from Old English hǣr; akin to Old High German hār hair

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Hair

Words & Phrases Containing Hair

hair ball, hair cell, hair dryer, hair follicle, hair gel, hair-raiser, hair-raising, hair seal, hair shirt

Frequently Asked Questions about Hair

What does "Hair" mean?

"Hair" means a slender threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis of an animal; especially, one of the usually pigmented filaments that form the characteristic coat of a mammal. As a noun, it is defined as: a slender threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis of an animal; especially, one of the usually pigmented filaments that form the characteristic coat of a mammal. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hair"?

Other words for "Hair" include ace, hairbreadth, hairline, hop, skip, and jump, inch, neck, shouting distance and step. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hair" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hair"?

There are 45 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hair". Common alternatives include ace, hairbreadth, hairline, hop, skip, and jump, inch, neck, shouting distance, step, stone's throw and bristle.

What is the opposite of "Hair"?

Antonyms of "Hair" include country mile, long haul and mile. Near antonyms include infinity and light-year.

How do you use "Hair" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hair" in a sentence: "a race that was won by a hair"; "discovered hairs on the plant's stem"; "has no hair, but wears a wig".

Is "Hair" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hair" is a noun.

Is "Hair" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Hair" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Hair"?

"Hair" is pronounced /ˈher/.