Haw — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun interjection verb /ˈhȯ/

Meaning & Definition of Haw

Haw (noun)

  1. a hawthorn berry
  2. hawthorn
  3. nictitating membrane; especially, an inflamed nictitating membrane of a domesticated mammal

Haw (interjection)

  1. —often used to indicate a vocalized pause in speaking

Haw (verb)

  1. to utter the sound represented by haw
  2. equivocate
  3. —used as a direction to turn to the left
  4. to turn to the near or left side

Haw (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in hem

    similar: hem, balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble, dally, dawdle, delay, linger, pause, procrastinate, wait, back down, chicken (out), consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh, oscillate, sway, equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle
    opposite: dive (in), plunge (in), decide, budge, stir, advance, continue

Related Entry: Hee-haw (noun)

Hee-haw is a different word from Haw. The synonyms below are for hee-haw, not for haw.

  1. an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement

    "the humor may have been corny and obvious, but the audience responded with hearty hee-haws"

    similar: belly laugh, boff, boffola, cachinnation, cackle, chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, horselaugh, laugh, laughter, snicker, snigger, titter, twitter
    related: crow, whoop, grin, simper, smile, smirk
    near: cry, groan, moan, sob, wail, face, frown, grimace, lower, mouth, pout, scowl

Related Entry: Hee-haw (verb)

Hee-haw is a different word from Haw. The synonyms below are for hee-haw, not for haw.

  1. to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound

    "those hayseeds will hee-haw at even the dumbest jokes"

    similar: break up, cackle, chortle, chuckle, crack up, giggle, laugh, roar, scream, snicker, titter, twitter, split one's sides
    related: grin, smile
    near: bawl, blubber, cry, sob, weep, howl, squall, wail, yowl, bleat, pule, whimper, whine, sniffle, snivel, groan, moan, sigh

Related Entry: Hem and haw (phrase)

Hem and haw is a different word from Haw. The synonyms below are for hem and haw, not for haw.

  1. to avoid giving a definite answer or position

    "He kept hemming and hawing and I couldn't get a straight answer."

    similar: equivocate, fudge, hedge, pussyfoot, tergiversate, waffle, weasel, beat around the bush, straddle the fence
    related: flip-flop, yo-yo, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade, shake, shirk, shun, sidestep, skirt, bypass, circumvent, cavil, quibble, straddle

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Haw

The most common words with a similar meaning to Haw:

hem, balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble, dally, dawdle, delay, linger, pause, procrastinate, wait, back down, chicken (out), consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh, oscillate, sway, equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Haw

Words with the opposite meaning of Haw:

dive (in), plunge (in), decide, budge, stir, advance, continue

Word Forms of Haw

Inflections: hawed, hawing, haws

Origin & Etymology of Haw

Middle English hawe, going back to Old English haga, weak masculine noun, formally identical with haga "fence, fenced enclosure, hedge" (whence Middle English hawe in same sense), going back to Germanic *hagan- (whence also Middle Dutch hage "thornbush," haghe "thornbush forming a border," Old Icelandic hagi "enclosed field, pasture"), derivative of a base *hag- seen also in *haga-, masculine a-stem, whence Old English hæg- "enclosure" (in placenames), Old High German hag "palisade, enclosed land"; in *hagi-, masculine i-stem, whence Old English hege "hedge, fence, boundary wall" (whence Middle English heye, haie, in part reflecting also Anglo-French haie "hedge, fence"), Middle Low German hege; in *hagjō hedge:1; in *hagna-, masculine a-stem, derivative with the suffix of appurtenance -na-, whence Old Saxon hagan "thornbush, buckthorn," Middle Dutch haghen "enclosure," Old High German hagan "thornbush, plants of the genera Crataegus and Rhamnus"; Germanic hag- going back to dialectal Indo-European *kagh- "enclosure," whence also Celtic *kagi̯o- (whence Welsh cae "hedge, hedgerow, field," Cornish ke "hedge, ditch," Old Breton caiou glossing munimenta "defensive works, barrier," Breton kae "hedge, field") and probably Latin caulae, plural only, "railing, lattice forming a barrier" (going back to *kahelā)

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Haw

hee-haw, hem and haw, yeehaw

Frequently Asked Questions about Haw

What does "Haw" mean?

"Haw" means a hawthorn berry. As an a noun, an interjection and a verb, it is defined as: a hawthorn berry.

What is another word for "Haw"?

Other words for "Haw" include hem, balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate and scruple. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Haw" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Haw"?

There are 34 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Haw". Common alternatives include hem, balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally and stagger.

What is the opposite of "Haw"?

Antonyms of "Haw" include dive (in), plunge (in), decide, budge, stir, advance and continue.

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

"Haw" can be used as a noun, an interjection and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Haw"?

"Haw" is pronounced /ˈhȯ/.

What is the origin of the word "Haw"?

"Haw" comes from Middle English hawe, going back to Old English haga, weak masculine noun, formally identical with haga "fence, fenced enclosure, hedge" (whence Middle English hawe in same sense), going back to Germanic *hagan- (whence also Middle Dutch hage "thornbush," haghe "thornbush forming a border," Old Icelandic hagi "enclosed field, pasture"), derivative of a base *hag- seen also in *haga-, masculine a-stem, whence Old English hæg- "enclosure" (in placenames), Old High German hag "palisade, enclosed land"; in *hagi-, masculine i-stem, whence Old English hege "hedge, fence, boundary wall" (whence Middle English heye, haie, in part reflecting also Anglo-French haie "hedge, fence"), Middle Low German hege; in *hagjō hedge:1; in *hagna-, masculine a-stem, derivative with the suffix of appurtenance -na-, whence Old Saxon hagan "thornbush, buckthorn," Middle Dutch haghen "enclosure," Old High German hagan "thornbush, plants of the genera Crataegus and Rhamnus"; Germanic hag- going back to dialectal Indo-European *kagh- "enclosure," whence also Celtic *kagi̯o- (whence Welsh cae "hedge, hedgerow, field," Cornish ke "hedge, ditch," Old Breton caiou glossing munimenta "defensive works, barrier," Breton kae "hedge, field") and probably Latin caulae, plural only, "railing, lattice forming a barrier" (going back to *kahelā). First known use: before 12th century.

What is another word for "Haw" meaning "as in hem"?

When "Haw" (verb) means as in hem, synonyms include hem, balance, dither, falter, halt and hang back. Opposites in this sense include dive (in), plunge (in), decide and budge.