ENGLISH
REFERENCE

haired

adj.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈhɛɹd// UK //hˈeəd// haired

adj. having a specific type or color of hair. You use this word by combining it with another word to describe how someone looks.

adj. possessing hair of a specified color, texture, or style. Almost exclusively used in hyphenated compounds to modify a noun.


SIMPLE

The fair-haired boy sat quietly in the front row.

CONTEXTUAL

The witness described a dark-haired man wearing a heavy coat leaving the building.

COMPLEX

In many traditional folk tales, the silver-haired protagonist represents wisdom and the passage of time, contrasting with the impulsive nature of younger characters.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English hered, equivalent to hair + -ed. Compare Dutch behaard (“haired”), German behaart (“haired”).

Usage

Typically functions as the second element of a hyphenated compound adjective (e.g., 'short-haired', 'curly-haired').

Pitfall

a hair mana hairy man / a dark-haired manLearners often use 'hair' as an adjective; use 'hairy' for a lot of hair, or '-haired' when describing a specific color or style.

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