Word
hoarse
US/ˈhɔɹs/
UK/hˈɔːs/
Definition
adj. sounding rough and low because your throat is sore or tired. You get this way after shouting a lot or when you have a cold.
adj. having a rough, harsh or strained voice, typically resulting from irritation, overuse or illness of the throat. Often follows linking verbs such as 'sound', 'become' or 'go'.
Examples
“My voice sounds hoarse after the long football match.”
“She catches a cold and her voice turns hoarse, so she drinks warm tea before teaching.”
“After hours of shouting over the storm, the rescue coordinator's instructions grew hoarse but remained clear enough to guide the team.”
Examples
simple
“My voice sounds hoarse after the long football match.”
contextual
“She catches a cold and her voice turns hoarse, so she drinks warm tea before teaching.”
complex
“After hours of shouting over the storm, the rescue coordinator's instructions grew hoarse but remained clear enough to guide the team.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “hoarse” in context.
Verb
01. become hoarse
“He became hoarse from talking all day in the cold air.”
verb + adj
02. go hoarse
“Teachers often go hoarse during the first week of term.”
verb + adj
03. hoarse from shouting
“My throat was hoarse from shouting at the football match.”
adj + prep + noun
04. hoarse with cold
“She was hoarse with cold and stayed home from school.”
adj + prep + noun
Adjective
05. increasingly hoarse
“The coach sounded increasingly hoarse by the end of the match.”
adv + adj
06. quite hoarse
“Her voice was quite hoarse after the long presentation.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. hoarse cough
“He had a dry, hoarse cough that lasted for days.”
adj + noun
08. hoarse cry
“We heard the hoarse cry of the fans late in the game.”
adj + noun
09. hoarse voice
“He answered in a hoarse voice after waking up with a sore throat.”
adj + noun
10. hoarse whisper
“She could only manage a hoarse whisper after the operation.”
adj + noun
11. be hoarse with a cold
“He was hoarse with a cold and cancelled the meeting.”
12. go hoarse from shouting
“I went hoarse from shouting over the noise at the concert.”
Usage
Typically used predicatively after 'sound', 'become' or 'go'; also used attributively before nouns like 'voice' or 'whisper'.
Real-World Examples
“His voice had betrayed him by going hoarse in mid-sentence.” “President Biden’s voice sounded noticeably hoarse during the remarks about a Labor Department jobs report, and he coughed at times.” “WASHINGTON — President Obama’s aide Samantha Power took the podium at Columbia University on Monday night sounding hoarse and looking uncomfortable.” Etymology
From Middle English hors, hos, from Old English hās, hārs, from Proto-Germanic haisaz, *haisraz, akin to Old Norse háss (West Norse) and heiss (East Norse) (whence Icelandic hás, Norwegian Nynorsk hås, Norwegian Bokmål hes and Swedish hes).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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