These two words can be difficult to remember because they sound the same and have related meanings. Hurtle is a verb—or rather two verbs. Without an object, it means “move very quickly.” With an object, it means “throw something with force (so that it moves through the air very quickly)”:         The rocket hurtled towards the stars.         The soldier […]

These two adjectives should be easy to remember because their meanings reflect their roots—hard and heart. Hardy describes people, and other living things, who are strong and tough—not necessarily having big muscles, but rather being hard to kill, being able to withstand damage and difficult conditions: Trees are among the most hardy living things, able to live through […]

Both these terms have strange histories in which their meanings changed radically. In the case of hoi polloi, it now has two opposite meanings! Hoi polloi originally meant “the many, the masses of common people.” And educated people still use it mostly this way. However, nowadays some people use hoi polloi to mean “rich, snobby people.” But […]

Hew is a verb meaning “to cut,” typically associated with wood or bone, not paper, or food. Hew refers to cutting with an axe or sword, not scissors, or razors. It connotes significant force and strength. More rarely, hew can have a completely different meaning: “to stay with or follow something,” such as to hew to tradition, or […]

Hilarious and hysterical have essentially the same meaning: “very, very funny.” However, hysterical is more complicated—and is an interesting example of the way meanings change over time. Originally, hysterical described a person suffering from the psychiatric (psychological, medical) condition hysteria, and can still be used with this meaning. Hysteria, both in medicine and in common speech, […]