Words starting with H | Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) for GRE PDF Download

hackneyed: commonplace; trite

Just when you thought neckties were becoming a hackneyed gift item, along comes the Grateful Dead collection.

Have a nice day has become something of a hackneyed expression.

haggard: untamed; having a worn look

The lawn in front of the abandoned house added to its haggard look.

He looked as haggard as you would expect a new father of quadruplets to look.

Just by looking at her haggard features, you can tell she has not slept for many hours.

halcyon: tranquil; happy

The old man fondly remembered his halcyon days growing up on the farm.

hamper: interfere with; hinder

The roadblock hampered their progress, but they knew a shortcut.

haphazard: disorganized; random

He constantly misplaced important documents because of his haphazard way of running his office.

hapless: unlucky; unfortunate

The hapless team could not win a game.

harangue: a lengthy, heartfelt speech; to talk or write excitedly

We sat patiently and listened to her harangue.

When he finally stopped his haranguing, I responded calmly.

harbor: a place of safety or shelter; to give shelter or to protect.

We stood at the dock as the ship sailed into the harbor.

The peasants were executed for harboring known rebels.

The rabbits used the shed as a harbor from the raging storm.

Her decision to harbor a known criminal was an unwise one.

harmonious: having proportionate and orderly parts

The challenge for the new conductor was to mold his musicians' talents into a harmonious orchestra.

haughty: proud of oneself and scornful of others

The haughty ways she displayed her work turned off her peers.

The haughty girl displayed her work as if she were the most prized artist.

hedonistic: living for pleasure

The group was known for its hedonistic rituals.

Hot tubs, good food, and a plethora of leisure time were the hallmarks of this hedonistic society.

heed: obey; yield to

If the peasant heeds the king's commands, she will be able to keep her land.

hefty: heavy or powerful

The unabridged dictionary makes for a hefty book.

heresy: opinion contrary to popular belief

In this town it is considered heresy to want parking spaces to have meters.

heretic: one who holds opinion contrary to that which is generally accepted

Because he believed the world was round, many people considered Columbus to be a heretic.

hiatus:  interval; break; period of rest

Summer vacation provided a much-needed hiatus for the students.

Between graduation and the first day of his new job, Tim took a threemonth hiatus in the Caribbean.

hierarchy: a system of persons or things arranged according to rank

I was put at the bottom of the hierarchy while Jane was put at the top.

hoary: whitened by age

The paint had a hoary appearance, as if it were applied decades ago.

homage: honor; respect

The police officers paid homage to their fallen colleague with a ceremony that celebrated her life.

homeostasis: maintenance of stability

Knowing the seriousness of the operation, the surgeons were concerned about restoring the patient to homeostasis.

homily: solemn moral talk; sermon

The preacher gave a moving homily to the gathered crowd.

hone: something used to sharpen; to sharpen; to long or yearn for

He ran the knife over the hone for hours to get a razor-sharp edge.

The apprenticeship will give her the opportunity to hone her skills.

The traveler hones for his homeland.

hubris: arrogance

Some think it was hubris that brought the president to the point of impeachment.

humility: lack of pride; modesty

Full of humility, she accepted the award but gave all the credit to her mentor.

hybrid: anything of mixed origin

The flower was a hybrid of three different flowers.

hyperbole: an exaggeration, not to be taken seriously

The full moon was almost blinding in its brightness, he said with a measure of hyperbole.

hypocritical: two-faced; deceptive

His constituents believed that the governor was hypocritical for calling for a moratorium on "negative" campaigning while continuing to air some of the most vicious ads ever produced against his opponent.

Most of his constituents believed the governor was hypocritical for calling his opponent a "mud-slinging hack" when his own campaign had slung more than its share of dirt.

hypothetical: assumed; uncertain; conjectural

A hypothetical situation was set up so we could practice our responses.

The professor was good at using hypothetical situations to illustrate complicated theories.