hide|bound /ha I dbaʊnd/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as hidebound , you are criticizing them for having old-fashioned ideas or ways of doing things and being unwilling or unlikely to change. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The men are hidebound and reactionary. □ [+ by ] The economy was hidebound by public spending and private monopolies.
hid|eous /h I diəs/
1 ADJ If you say that someone or something is hideous , you mean that they are very ugly or unattractive. □ She saw a hideous face at the window and screamed.
2 ADJ You can describe an event, experience, or action as hideous when you mean that it is very unpleasant, painful, or difficult to bear. □ His family was subjected to a hideous attack by the gang.
hid|eous|ly /h I diəsli/
1 ADV [usu ADV adj/-ed, oft ADV after v] You use hideously to emphasize that something is very ugly or unattractive. [EMPHASIS ] □ Everything is hideously ugly.
2 ADV [ADV adj/-ed] You can use hideously to emphasize that something is very unpleasant or unacceptable. [EMPHASIS ] □ …a hideously complex program.
hide|out /ha I daʊt/ (hideouts ) N‑COUNT A hideout is a place where someone goes secretly because they do not want anyone to find them, for example if they are running away from the police.
hid|ing /ha I d I ŋ/ (hidings )
1 N‑UNCOUNT If someone is in hiding , they have secretly gone somewhere where they cannot be seen or found. □ Gray is thought to be in hiding near the France/Italy border. □ The duchess is expected to come out of hiding to attend the ceremony.
2 N‑COUNT If you give someone a hiding , you punish them by hitting them many times. [INFORMAL ]
3 PHRASE If you say that someone who is trying to achieve something is on a hiding to nothing , you are emphasizing that they have absolutely no chance of being successful. [BRIT , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ If you are selling something that people don't want, you are on a hiding to nothing.
hi d|ing place (hiding places ) N‑COUNT A hiding place is a place where someone or something can be hidden, or where they are hiding.
hi|er|ar|chi|cal /ha I ərɑː r k I k ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A hierarchical system or organization is one in which people have different ranks or positions, depending on how important they are. □ …the traditional hierarchical system of military organization.
hi|er|ar|chy /ha I ərɑː r ki/ (hierarchies )
1 N‑VAR A hierarchy is a system of organizing people into different ranks or levels of importance, for example in society or in a company. □ Like most other American companies with a rigid hierarchy, workers and managers had strictly defined duties.
2 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] The hierarchy of an organization such as the Church is the group of people who manage and control it.
3 N‑COUNT A hierarchy of ideas and beliefs involves organizing them into a system or structure. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] The notion of 'cultural imperialism' implies a hierarchy of cultures, some of which are stronger than others.
hi|ero|glyph /ha I ə rəgl I f/ (hieroglyphs ) N‑COUNT Hieroglyphs are symbols in the form of pictures, which are used in some writing systems, especially those of ancient Egypt.
hi|ero|glyph|ics /ha I ə rəgl I f I ks/ N‑PLURAL Hieroglyphics are symbols in the form of pictures which are used in some writing systems, for example those of ancient Egypt.
hi-fi /ha I fa I / (hi-fis ) N‑VAR A hi-fi is a set of equipment on which you play CDs and tapes, and which produces stereo sound of very good quality. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
higgledy-piggledy /h I g ə ldi p I g ə ldi/ ADJ If you say that things are higgledy-piggledy , you mean that they are very disorganized and untidy. [INFORMAL ] □ Books are often stacked in higgledy-piggledy piles on the floor. ● ADV [ADV after v] Higgledy-piggledy is also an adverb. □ A whole valley of boulders tossed higgledy-piggledy as though by some giant.
high ◆◆◆ /ha I / (higher , highest , highs )
1 ADJ Something that is high extends a long way from the bottom to the top when it is upright. You do not use high to describe people, animals, or plants. □ …a house, with a high wall all around it. □ Mount Marcy is the highest mountain in the Adirondacks. □ …high-heeled shoes. □ The gate was too high for a man of his age to climb. ● ADV [ADV after v] High is also an adverb. □ …wagons packed high with bureaus, bedding, and cooking pots.
2 ADJ [n ADJ ] [as ADJ as ] You use high to talk or ask about how much something upright measures from the bottom to the top. □ …an elegant bronze horse only nine inches high. □ Measure your garage: how high is the door?
3 ADJ If something is high , it is a long way above the ground, above sea level, or above a person or thing. □ I looked down from the high window. □ In Castel Molo, high above Taormina, you can sample the famous almond wine made there. ● ADV [ADV after v] High is also an adverb. □ …being able to run faster or jump higher than other people. ● PHRASE If something is high up , it is a long way above the ground, above sea level, or above a person or thing. □ We saw three birds circling very high up.
4 ADJ You can use high to indicate that something is great in amount, degree, or intensity. □ The European country with the highest birth rate is Ireland. □ Official reports said casualties were high. □ Commercialisation has given many sports a higher profile. ● ADV [ADV after v] High is also an adverb. □ He expects the unemployment figures to rise even higher in coming months. ● PHRASE You can use phrases such as ' in the high 80s ' to indicate that a number or level is, for example, more than 85 but not as much as 90.