hirsute

/həːˈsjuːt/

//həːˈsjuːt// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"hirsute" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hirsute” is uncommon English (frequency #78,684 among 2,646 “H” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,684
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Covered in hair or bristles; hairy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hirsute · hirsute · English

hirsute · rank #78,684 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #78,684
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Hispano

Nearest frequency peer: Hispano (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “hirsute”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “hirsute” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for hirsute
PropertyValue
Headwordhirsute
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/həːˈsjuːt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#78,684
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hirsute” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).hirsutefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Hispano” (#78,685), “Herren” (#78,680), “Holroyd” (#78,691). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hirsute” is #78,684. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hirsute is uncommon English at frequency #78,684 among 2,646 “H” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /həːˈsjuːt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Covered in hair or bristles; hairy.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for hirsute, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin hirsūtus (“shaggy, hairy”). The correct English form is hirsute, spelled H-I-R-S-U-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Covered in hair or bristles; hairy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how hirsute appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A third eminent cause of iealousie may be this, when hee that is deformed hirsute and ragged, and very vertuously giuen, will marry some very faire niec piece, or some light huswife, he begins to misdoubt (as well he may) she doth not affect him.
  2. […] there are of Roots, Bulbous Roots, Fibrous Roots, and Hirsute Roots.

Etymology

From Latin hirsūtus (“shaggy, hairy”).

Synonyms

hairyhirsutenonglabrous

Antonyms

glabrousbaldcallowcalvousdepiloushairlesssmooth

This word in other languages

peludo(Español)hirsute(Français)behaart(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hirsute"?
"hirsute" is spelled H-I-R-S-U-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /həːˈsjuːt/.
What does "hirsute" mean?
As an adjective, "hirsute" means: Covered in hair or bristles; hairy.
How do you pronounce "hirsute"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hirsute" is /həːˈsjuːt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "hirsute"?
From Latin hirsūtus (“shaggy, hairy”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "hirsute", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hispano#78,685Holroyd#78,691horning#78,693gluteus#78,637

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list