Updated on January 14, 2025
by PushtoLearn
Test your English

Adjectives That Start with H

Are you looking to highlight the heroic qualities of someone, describe a hardworking individual, or even capture a huffy or high-strung personality? Adjectives that start with “H” offer a rich range of descriptors for personalities, spanning the hopeful, humorous, and humane to the hot-blooded and hypercritical.

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.

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.

Follow us
Free grammar and vocabulary exercises, ESL worksheets, lesson plans, tests and tools for students and teachers
@ 2025 PushtoLearn