Advanced Vocabulary Starting with "H"

78 entries

• habeas-corpus A legal writ requiring that a person under arrest or detention be brought bef...
• habitat The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
• habituation The diminishing of a physiological or emotional response to a frequently repe...
• hackneyed Lacking significance through having been overused; unoriginal and dull.
• haematology The branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of ...
• haemorrhage An escape of blood from a ruptured blood vessel, especially when profuse. It ...
• haemostasis The physiological process by which bleeding is stopped, involving vasoconstri...
• haggard Looking exhausted, gaunt, and worn, typically as a result of prolonged suffer...
• haiku A form of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines with five, seven, and fiv...
• hallucination A sensory experience of something that does not exist outside the mind, such ...
• halogen Any of the five chemical elements in Group 17 of the periodic table — fluorin...
• hamper To hinder, obstruct, or impede the progress or movement of someone or something.
• haphazard Lacking any obvious principle of organisation; random or unsystematic.
• haphazardly In a disorganised, random, or careless manner, without any obvious plan or sy...
• hapless Unfortunate and deserving of pity; unlucky in a way that evokes sympathy or m...
• harangue A lengthy, aggressive, and forceful speech directed at someone; to lecture or...
• harbinger A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another; a foreru...
• harmonic Relating to or characterised by musical harmony, or in physics, a component f...
• harmonious Forming a pleasing or consistent whole; free from disagreement or conflict; m...
• harmonise To bring into agreement or consistency, making different elements work togeth...
• hedging A risk management strategy that involves taking an offsetting position in a r...
• hedonism The philosophical doctrine that pleasure is the highest good and the proper a...
• hedonist A person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thin...
• hegemony Dominance or leadership of one state, group, or ideology over others, especia...
• heinous Utterly odious or wicked; shockingly evil or morally reprehensible. Used to d...
• hemisphere One half of the Earth, typically divided by the equator (Northern and Souther...
• heraldry The system of designing, displaying, and studying coats of arms and other arm...
• herbicide A chemical substance used to destroy unwanted vegetation, especially weeds th...
• herbivore An animal that feeds exclusively or primarily on plants.
• herculean Requiring enormous strength, effort, or courage; of extraordinary power or di...
• heresy A belief or opinion that goes against established doctrine, orthodoxy, or wid...
• heretical Holding or expressing opinions that contradict established beliefs or officia...
• heritage Valued traditions, buildings, objects, and qualities that have been passed do...
• hermeneutics The theory and methodology of interpretation, especially of texts, originally...
• heterodox Not conforming with accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs; holding unconv...
• heterogeneous Diverse in character or content; composed of parts or elements of different k...
• heuristic A practical approach to problem-solving that employs a shortcut or rule of th...
• hiatus A pause or break in continuity; a gap or interruption in a sequence, activity...
• hierarchy A system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance...
• hinder To create difficulty or delay for someone or something, making progress slowe...
• hindrance A thing that provides resistance or delay to progress; the act of hindering.
• hippocampus A curved structure deep in the brain that is essential for the formation of n...
• histology The study of the microscopic structure of tissues. In clinical medicine, the ...
• historiography The study of how history is written, including the methods, interpretations, ...
• hitherto Until now; up to this point in time. Used to describe something that was the ...
• holistic Characterised by the treatment of the whole person or system, taking into acc...
• homage A public show of respect or honour to someone; a creative work that pays trib...
• homeostasis The tendency of a biological system to maintain stable internal conditions de...
• homeostatic Relating to homeostasis — the tendency of a biological system to maintain int...
• homogeneous Of the same kind; consisting of parts or elements that are all the same or ve...
• homonym A word that is spelt and pronounced the same as another word but has a differ...
• homophone A word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning and...
• honorarium A voluntary payment made for professional services for which no fee is legall...
• hostility Unfriendly or aggressive feelings or behaviour towards someone or something; ...
• hubris Excessive pride or self-confidence, especially one that leads to downfall.
• hull The main body or frame of a ship, boat, or large aircraft. Also, the outer co...
• humanism A philosophical outlook emphasising human reason, ethics, and dignity as the ...
• humanitarian Concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare, particularly in the conte...
• hydraulic Operated by or involving the pressure of a liquid, typically oil or water. Hy...
• hydroelectric Relating to or denoting the generation of electricity using flowing or fallin...
• hydrology The scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water o...
• hydrolysis A chemical reaction in which a compound is broken down by its reaction with w...
• hydrophilic Having a strong affinity for water; tending to dissolve in, mix with, or be w...
• hydrophobic Tending to repel or not absorb water; lacking affinity for water. In chemistr...
• hydroponics The cultivation of plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a...
• hygrometer An instrument used to measure the amount of moisture or humidity in the atmos...
• hygroscopic Readily absorbing moisture from the surrounding atmosphere. Used in chemistry...
• hyperactivity A state of abnormally increased activity and restlessness, often associated w...
• hyperbola A symmetrical open curve with two branches, formed by the intersection of a c...
• hyperbole Deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, not intended...
• hypertension Abnormally high blood pressure, typically defined as a sustained reading of 1...
• hypocritical Behaving in a way that contradicts one's stated beliefs, values, or standards...
• hypoglycaemia An abnormally low level of glucose in the blood, typically below 4 mmol/L, ca...
• hypotenuse The longest side of a right-angled triangle, located opposite the right angle.
• hypothecate To pledge an asset as security for a loan without transferring ownership; in ...
• hypothermia A dangerously low body temperature, typically below 35°C, caused by prolonged...
• hypothesise To put forward a hypothesis; to suggest a possible explanation for something ...
• hypothetical Based on or involving a supposition or assumed scenario rather than establish...