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hoarse

adjective
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\ ˈhȯrs How to pronounce hoarse (audio) \
hoarser; hoarsest

Definition of hoarse

1 : rough or harsh in sound : grating a hoarse voice
2 : having a hoarse voice shouted himself hoarse
Other Words from hoarse Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hoarse

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Other Words from hoarse

hoarsely adverb
hoarseness noun

Examples of hoarse in a Sentence

She could only speak in a hoarse whisper. The cold made me a little hoarse.
Recent Examples on the Web The clinician had symptoms of tongue swelling, hoarse voice and difficulty breathing, according to FHP. — Jessica Firger And Travis Caldwell, CNN, "Third Alaskan health care worker has allergic reaction to Covid-19 vaccine," 18 Dec. 2020 Mental mistakes have been a problem all season for the Cardinals and coach Kliff Kingsbury is probably hoarse now after barking at his players all night long. — Bob Mcmanaman, The Arizona Republic, "Mental errors prove costly in Cardinals' loss to Seahawks," 21 Nov. 2020 David Clark ended up hoarse last week from directing traffic on the ice. — Stephen Smith, New York Times, "Canada’s Game Struggles to Return. And to Still Look Like Hockey.," 28 Oct. 2020 First-year coach Mel Tucker, his voice hoarse but emphatic, recognized his team’s shortcomings during a game in which the Hawkeyes built a 35-0 lead in the first half with three touchdowns on offense, one on defense and another on special teams. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State football's Mel Tucker: 'We've got serious work to do, like ... immediately'," 8 Nov. 2020 During a midday visit to his election headquarters in Arlington, Va., Trump sounded hoarse and exhausted from a grueling marathon of rallies in the last week. — Los Angeles Times, "Trump watches returns at the White House as aides claim confidence," 3 Nov. 2020 Similarly, no one is going to chance calling Ryan Reynolds or Scarlett Johansson into a booth in Burbank to shout themselves hoarse for 10 minutes. — Melena Ryzik, New York Times, "They Scream! We Scream!," 29 Oct. 2020 In a clip released on Wednesday, Kardashian is shown self recording the news in a hoarse voice. — Lisa Respers France, CNN, "Khloe Kardashian reveals she had coronavirus," 28 Oct. 2020 The streets ringing Petco Park pulsed to the soundtrack of car horns and voices growing hoarse by the second. — Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Padres’ playoff fireworks buoy San Diego during uncertain days," 4 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hoarse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of hoarse

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for hoarse

Middle English hos, hors, probably from Old Norse *hārs, hāss; akin to Old English hās hoarse, Old High German heis

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Time Traveler for hoarse

Time Traveler

The first known use of hoarse was before the 12th century

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Statistics for hoarse

Last Updated

27 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Hoarse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoarse. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for hoarse

hoarse

adjective
How to pronounce hoarse (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of hoarse

: having a harsh or rough sound or voice

See the full definition for hoarse in the English Language Learners Dictionary

hoarse

adjective
\ ˈhȯrs How to pronounce hoarse (audio) \
hoarser; hoarsest

Kids Definition of hoarse

1 : harsh in sound a hoarse voice
2 : having a rough voice I was hoarse from talking too much.

Other Words from hoarse

hoarsely adverb
hoarseness noun

hoarse

adjective
\ ˈhō(ə)rs, ˈhȯ(ə)rs How to pronounce hoarse (audio) \
hoarser; hoarsest

Medical Definition of hoarse

1 : rough or harsh in sound a hoarse voice
2 : having a hoarse voice was hoarse from shouting

Other Words from hoarse

hoarsely adverb
hoarseness noun

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More from Merriam-Webster on hoarse

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hoarse

Nglish: Translation of hoarse for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of hoarse for Arabic Speakers

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