Adjectives That Start with H | List, Exercise & Examples

Adjectives that start with H Exercises and Flashcards

These exercises focus on Adjectives that start with H

List of Positive Adjectives That Start With H

Adjective	Definition	Example
Halcyon	Calm, peaceful, and happy.	She often reminisces about the halcyon days of her youth.
Hale	Strong and healthy.	The hale old man enjoyed hiking every morning.
Hallowed	Greatly revered or respected.	The church is a hallowed place in the community.
Handsome	Pleasing in appearance, especially for men.	He looked handsome in his formal attire.
Handy	Convenient or useful.	This tool is incredibly handy for fixing small problems.
Happy	Feeling or showing joy and contentment.	She was happy to spend time with her family.
Happy-go-lucky	Carefree and easygoing.	His happy-go-lucky attitude made him enjoyable to be around.
Hardy	Capable of enduring difficult conditions.	These hardy plants thrive in extreme weather.
Harmless	Causing no harm or offense.	The dog may bark, but it’s completely harmless.
Harmonious	Forming a pleasing or balanced whole.	The team worked in a harmonious manner to achieve their goal.
Healthy	In good physical or mental condition.	Eating fresh fruits is part of a healthy lifestyle.
Heartening	Encouraging or uplifting.	The community’s support was deeply heartening.
Heavenly	Delightfully beautiful or perfect.	The chocolate cake tasted absolutely heavenly.
Helpful	Providing assistance or support.	The librarian was extremely helpful during my research.
High-quality	Of superior standard or excellence.	The store offers high-quality products at reasonable prices.
Hilarious	Extremely funny.	The comedian’s jokes were absolutely hilarious.
Holy	Sacred or deserving reverence.	The temple is considered a holy site by many.
Homey	Comfortable and cozy like home.	The small café had a homey atmosphere that made us feel welcome.
Honest	Truthful and trustworthy.	She gave an honest answer to the difficult question.
Honest-to-goodness	Genuine and sincere.	He’s an honest-to-goodness person who truly cares.
Honorable	Deserving respect or admiration.	The soldier was recognized for his honorable service.
Hospitable	Friendly and welcoming to guests.	The hosts were incredibly hospitable and made us feel at home.
Humanitarian	Concerned with promoting human welfare.	Her humanitarian efforts have helped countless people.
Humble	Modest and free from arrogance.	Despite his fame, he remains humble and grounded.
Hygienic	Clean and sanitary.	The restaurant maintains a hygienic kitchen environment.

Illustration of Adjectives That Start with H

List of Negative Adjectives That Start With H

Adjective	Definition	Example
Hackneyed	Overused and lacking originality.	The speech was filled with hackneyed phrases.
Haggard	Looking exhausted and unwell.	After working late nights, he appeared haggard.
Haphazard	Lacking organization or planning.	The room was cleaned in a haphazard manner.
Hapless	Unfortunate or unlucky.	The hapless traveler lost his passport and luggage.
Hard	Unkind, strict, or difficult.	She received a hard punishment for a minor mistake.
Hard-handed	Overly strict or oppressive.	The manager’s hard-handed leadership style caused dissatisfaction.
Hard-headed	Stubborn and unwilling to change opinions.	He’s so hard-headed that he refuses to listen to advice.
Harebrained	Reckless or foolish.	His harebrained scheme to make money failed miserably.
Harmful	Causing damage or injury.	Smoking is harmful to your health.
Harried	Feeling strained or stressed due to demands.	She looked harried trying to juggle multiple tasks.
Harsh	Severe, cruel, or unkind.	His harsh criticism left her in tears.
Hateful	Filled with hate or deserving of hate.	He made a hateful comment that offended everyone.
Haughty	Arrogantly superior or disdainful.	Her haughty attitude alienated her coworkers.
Hazardous	Dangerous or risky.	Driving in the foggy weather was hazardous.
Heartbreaking	Causing overwhelming sadness.	The movie had a heartbreaking ending that left everyone in tears.
Hebetudinous	Dull or lethargic.	His hebetudinous demeanor made the lecture feel endless.
Hegemonic	Dominating or controlling in a forceful way.	The hegemonic policies were met with resistance.
Heinous	Shockingly wicked or evil.	The criminal was convicted for his heinous actions.
Hideous	Extremely ugly or unpleasant.	The painting was so hideous that no one wanted to display it.
Ho-hum	Lacking excitement; dull.	The party was ho-hum, with nothing special to remember.
Horrible	Extremely bad or unpleasant.	She had a horrible day at work.
Horrid	Unpleasant or nasty.	The room smelled horrid after the spill.
Horrific	Causing horror or shock.	The accident was a horrific sight.
Hostile	Unfriendly or antagonistic.	The atmosphere during the meeting was hostile.
Humiliating	Causing embarrassment or shame.	Forgetting her lines during the speech was a humiliating experience.
Hyperbolic	Exaggerated and not meant to be taken literally.	His hyperbolic claims about his skills annoyed everyone.

List of Neutral Adjectives That Start With H

Adjective	Definition	Example
Hands-on	Involving active participation.	The workshop provided a hands-on learning experience.
Haunting	Evoking strong emotions or lingering in the mind.	The melody was beautiful yet haunting.
Heavy	Of great weight or intensity.	The suitcase was too heavy to carry alone.
Hebdomadal	Occurring weekly.	The hebdomadal meetings are scheduled every Monday.
Hedonistic	Devoted to the pursuit of pleasure.	His hedonistic lifestyle focused on indulgence and enjoyment.
Herbal	Relating to plants used for medicine or flavor.	The tea is made from herbal ingredients.
Heteroclite	Deviating from the norm or standard.	His heteroclite approach to problem-solving often surprises others.
Heuristic	Enabling learning or discovery through self-guided methods.	The teacher used a heuristic method to engage students in critical thinking.
High	Of great vertical extent or level.	The mountain is incredibly high and challenging to climb.
Hircine	Relating to or resembling a goat.	The room had a hircine odor after the animals were brought in.
Hirsute	Covered with hair or bristles.	The hirsute dog needed regular grooming.
Historic	Having great significance in history.	The historic event changed the course of the nation.
Historical	Relating to past events or history.	The museum displayed historical artifacts from ancient civilizations.
Histrionic	Overly dramatic or theatrical.	His histrionic reaction to the news was unnecessary.
Hoarse	Having a rough or harsh voice.	After cheering all night, her voice was hoarse.
Holistic	Relating to the whole rather than individual parts.	The doctor takes a holistic approach to treating patients.
Homemade	Made at home rather than commercially.	The cookies had a delicious homemade taste.
Horizontal	Parallel to the horizon or ground.	The painting was displayed in a horizontal orientation.
Hortative	Encouraging or urging action.	The speech had a hortative tone, motivating everyone to participate.
Hot	Having a high temperature or spicy flavor.	The soup was hot and filled the room with its aroma.
Huge	Extremely large or enormous.	The stadium was huge and could hold thousands of fans.
Human	Relating to people or humanity.	The novel explores human emotions and relationships.
Hungry	Feeling a need for food or something else.	The child was hungry after playing outside all day.
Hybrid	Combining different elements or characteristics.	The car runs on a hybrid of gas and electricity.
Hypnotic	Fascinating and spellbinding.	The dancer’s movements were mesmerizing and hypnotic.

List of Adjectives for Personality Traits That Start With H

Adjective	Definition	Example
Hangdog	Shamefaced or guilty in appearance.	He had a hangdog expression after being caught lying.
Happening	Trendy or fashionable.	She’s always part of the most happening events in town.
Hardhearted	Lacking compassion or sympathy.	The hardhearted boss refused to grant any leave.
Hardworking	Diligent and committed to effort.	She’s a hardworking student who always submits her assignments on time.
Hasty	Acting quickly without careful consideration.	His hasty decision led to a major mistake.
Hearty	Warm, enthusiastic, and energetic.	Her hearty laugh brightened the room.
Heroic	Showing great bravery or courage.	The firefighter’s heroic efforts saved many lives.
High-maintenance	Requiring a lot of attention or care.	Her high-maintenance personality can be overwhelming at times.
High-minded	Having strong moral principles or ideals.	His high-minded approach earned him great respect.
High-strung	Nervous or easily upset.	She’s so high-strung that even small things stress her out.
Hip	Stylish, modern, or socially aware.	He’s always dressed in a hip and trendy way.
Hoity-toity	Snobbish or pretentious.	She acted all hoity-toity, even though she wasn’t that important.
Homely	Plain or unattractive in appearance.	Despite her homely looks, her personality was captivating.
Hopeful	Positive and optimistic about the future.	He remains hopeful despite the challenges ahead.
Hot-blooded	Passionate or quick to anger.	He’s known for his hot-blooded temperament in arguments.
Hotheaded	Prone to anger or rash decisions.	His hotheaded nature often gets him into trouble.
Huffy	Easily offended or annoyed.	She got huffy when someone criticized her idea.
Huggable	Affectionate and easy to embrace.	The toddler was so cute and huggable.
Hulking	Large and often clumsy.	The hulking man moved surprisingly gracefully.
Humane	Compassionate and showing concern for others.	Her humane actions helped improve the shelter’s conditions.
Humorous	Having a sense of humor; funny.	His humorous stories always make people laugh.
Hunky	Attractive and well-built.	The actor was tall, hunky, and charming.
Husky	Strong and rugged in build or voice.	His husky voice made him a perfect narrator.
Hyper	Overly energetic or enthusiastic.	The kids were hyper after eating too much candy.
Hypercritical	Excessively critical or fault-finding.	She’s so hypercritical that no one likes working with her.
Hysterical	Overly emotional or uncontrollably funny.	Her hysterical laughter made everyone in the room laugh too.

Featured Adjectives Grouped by Topics

Describing Emotions

Hopeful: Feeling optimistic about the future.
Humdrum: Lacking excitement or variety.

Physical Descriptions

Hairy: Covered with hair or fur.
Hollow: Having an empty interior space.

Behavioral Traits

Hardhearted: Showing no compassion.
Helpful: Willing to assist or support.

Everyday Use of Adjectives Starting With H

Adjective	Example Sentence
Happy	"She felt happy after hearing the good news."
Harsh	"The coach’s harsh criticism upset the team."
Heroic	"The firefighter made a heroic rescue during the blaze."

Common Mistakes

Using “Haughty” to describe positive confidence:
Mistake: "She has a haughty charm that wins people over."
Correction: "She has a confident charm that wins people over."
Confusing “Hospitable” with “Humble”:
Mistake: "The humble host offered everyone tea."
Correction: "The hospitable host offered everyone tea."

FAQ

What’s the difference between “Helpful” and “Hospitable”?

Helpful refers to being willing to assist, while hospitable refers to being welcoming and friendly to guests.

Can “Humble” be negative?

No, humble generally has a positive connotation, though excessive humility could suggest lack of confidence.

Is “Hair-raising” always negative?

Not always; it can describe thrilling experiences in an adventurous context.

Can “Hardhearted” describe a situation?

No, hardhearted is used to describe a person lacking compassion, not situations.

Is “Heroic” reserved for life-threatening acts?

No, it can describe any brave or noble deed, even in everyday situations.