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hook

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To make addicted.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

huuk
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈhʊk

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. usually passive voice

    To make addicted; to captivate.

  2. Make a piece of needlework by interlocking and looping thread with a hooked needle

  3. Make off with belongings of others

  4. transitive

    To work yarn into a fabric using a hook; to crochet.

  5. transitive

    To seize or pierce with the points of the horns, as cattle in attacking enemies; to gore.

  6. intransitive

    To bend; to be curved.

noun

  1. Any of various hook-shaped agricultural implements such as a billhook.

  2. A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment.

  3. A loop shaped like a hook under certain written letters, for example, g and j.

  4. The curved needle used in the art of crochet.

  5. The part of a hinge which is fixed to a post, and on which a door or gate hangs and turns.

  6. A tie-in to a current event or trend that makes a news story or editorial relevant and timely.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A2 · Elementary (estimated)
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To make addicted; to captivate.

Used this way, hook is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use hook

  • “Hang your coat on the hook by the door.”

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

red hookiron hookvan hook

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • hooksnounPlural form

    Large strong hand (as of a fighter).

  • hookingnounInflected form

    A golf shot that curves to the left for a right-handed golfer.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • hook wrenchnounCompound term

    A wrench with a hook that fits over a nut or bolt head.

  • hook and eyenounCompound term

    A kind of fastener used on clothing.

  • hook line and sinkeradverbCompound term

    In every detail.

  • hook of hollandnounCompound term

    A cape on the southwestern coast of the Netherlands near Rotterdam.

  • hook shotnounCompound term

    A basketball shot made over the head with the hand that is farther from the basket.

  • hook spannernounCompound term

    A wrench with a hook that fits over a nut or bolt head.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: any of various hook-shaped agricultural implements such as a billhook

baitcrotchetRarelurepinchfilchArchaic

Antonyms

Sense: to make addicted

unhookRare

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.