This page lists 69 Greek words that start with H, from “Hades” to “Hysteros.” The list covers gods and myths, numbers, body parts, everyday nouns, and small linking words like “hyper” and “hypo.” You can use it to learn Greek vocabulary, trace the roots of English words, or make sense of names and terms from mythology, science, and history.
Greek words are the vocabulary of one of the oldest written languages in Europe, with a record going back more than 3,000 years. English borrowed thousands of them, and “hydor,” the Greek word for water, is the reason we say “hydrogen,” which means “water-maker.”
Below you’ll find the table with the word, English translation, part of speech, example usage, and description for each entry.
Word: The Greek term written in Latin letters, so you can read it and say it without knowing the Greek alphabet.
English translation: The short meaning of each word in plain English, so you can see right away what it stands for.
Part of speech: Shows whether the word is a noun, verb, adjective, or another type, which helps you understand how it works in a sentence.
Example usage: A short Greek phrase with its English meaning, so you can see how the word appears in real speech or writing.
Description: A brief note on the word’s history, its role in myth or daily life, and any English words that come from it.
Greek words
| Word | English translation | Part of speech | Example usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hades | The unseen; the underworld | Noun | Hades ho theos tōn nekrōn (Hades, the god of the dead) |
| Hagios | Holy; sacred | Adjective | Hagios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) |
| Hagnos | Pure; chaste | Adjective | hagnē kardia (a pure heart) |
| Haima | Blood | Noun | to haima rheei (the blood flows) |
| Hairesis | Choice; school of thought | Noun | hairesis philosophias (a school of philosophy) |
| Hairetikos | Able to choose; factious | Adjective | hairetikos anthrōpos (a divisive person) |
| Halas | Salt | Noun | halas kai hydōr (salt and water) |
| Hals | Salt; sea | Noun | hals thalassia (sea salt) |
| Hamartia | Missing the mark; error | Noun | hamartia tou hērōos (the hero’s fatal flaw) |
| Hamilla | Contest; competition | Noun | hamilla dromou (a running contest) |
| Haplos | Single; simple | Adjective | haplos logos (a plain statement) |
| Harmonia | Joining; harmony | Noun | harmonia tōn sphairōn (the harmony of the spheres) |
| Harpe | Sickle; curved blade | Noun | harpē tou Persēōs (the sickle of Perseus) |
| Hebe | Youth; youthful prime | Noun | Hebē theā tēs neotētos (Hebe, goddess of youth) |
| Hedone | Pleasure; delight | Noun | hēdonē kai lypē (pleasure and pain) |
| Hedra | Seat; base | Noun | hedra tou theatrou (a seat in the theater) |
| Hegemon | Leader; ruler | Noun | hēgemōn tēs Hellados (leader of Greece) |
| Hekaton | One hundred | Numeral | hekaton andres (a hundred men) |
| Hekatombe | Sacrifice of a hundred oxen | Noun | hekatombē tois theois (a great offering to the gods) |
| Hekon | Willing; of one’s own accord | Adjective | hekōn ou hekōn (willing or unwilling) |
| Helios | Sun | Noun | Helios anatellei (the sun rises) |
| Hellas | Greece | Noun | Hellas hē patris (Greece, the homeland) |
| Hellen | Greek person | Noun | Hellēnes kai barbaroi (Greeks and non-Greeks) |
| Hellenikos | Greek | Adjective | Hellēnikē glōssa (the Greek language) |
| Hemera | Day | Noun | kalē hēmera (a good day) |
| Hemi | Half | Prefix | hēmi-kyklion (half circle) |
| Hemisys | Half | Adjective | hēmisy tou artou (half of the bread) |
| Hepar | Liver | Noun | to hēpar tou anthrōpou (the human liver) |
| Hepta | Seven | Numeral | hepta sophoi (the seven sages) |
| Hera | Hera; protectress | Noun | Hēra basilissa (Hera the queen) |
| Herakles | Hercules | Noun | ta dōdeka athla Hēraklēos (the twelve labors of Heracles) |
| Hermeneia | Interpretation | Noun | hermēneia tōn graphōn (interpretation of the writings) |
| Hermes | Hermes; messenger god | Noun | Hermēs angelos tōn theōn (Hermes, messenger of the gods) |
| Heros | Hero | Noun | ho hērōs apothnēiskei (the hero dies) |
| Hesperos | Evening; the west | Noun | Hesperos astēr (the evening star) |
| Hesychia | Stillness; quiet | Noun | hēsychia kai eirēnē (quiet and peace) |
| Heteros | Other; different | Adjective | heteros anthrōpos (another person) |
| Heuriskō | I find; I discover | Verb | heurēka, heurēka (I have found it) |
| Hex | Six | Numeral | hex hēmerai (six days) |
| Hexis | State; habit | Noun | hexis aretēs (a habit of virtue) |
| Hieros | Sacred; holy | Adjective | hieros logos (a sacred story) |
| Hikanos | Sufficient; able | Adjective | hikanos ho misthos (the pay is enough) |
| Hilaros | Cheerful; merry | Adjective | hilaros ho anthrōpos (a cheerful person) |
| Hippos | Horse | Noun | ho hippos trechei (the horse runs) |
| Hippodromos | Horse racecourse | Noun | ho hippodromos tēs poleōs (the city’s racecourse) |
| Histor | Wise man; judge | Noun | histōr tēs alētheias (a judge of truth) |
| Historia | Inquiry; history | Noun | historia tou Hērodotou (the Inquiry of Herodotus) |
| Hodos | Road; way | Noun | hodos pros tēn polin (the road to the city) |
| Holos | Whole; entire | Adjective | holos ho kosmos (the whole world) |
| Homoios | Similar; alike | Adjective | homoios tō patri (like his father) |
| Homologia | Agreement; confession | Noun | homologia pros tous philous (agreement with friends) |
| Homos | Same; one and the same | Adjective | homos tropos (the same way) |
| Hora | Hour; season | Noun | hōra tou etous (a season of the year) |
| Horizon | Bounding line | Participle | horizōn kyklos (the horizon circle) |
| Horkos | Oath | Noun | ho horkos tōn theōn (the oath of the gods) |
| Horos | Boundary; limit | Noun | horos tēs chōras (the border of the land) |
| Hybris | Insolence; excessive pride | Noun | hybris pro nemeseōs (arrogance before retribution) |
| Hydor | Water | Noun | hydōr kai gē (water and earth) |
| Hydra | Water serpent | Noun | Hydra tēs Lernēs (the Hydra of Lerna) |
| Hygieia | Health | Noun | Hygieia thea (Hygieia, the goddess of health) |
| Hymen | Wedding song; god of marriage | Noun | ō Hymēn ō Hymenaie (O Hymen, O Hymenaeus) |
| Hymnos | Song of praise | Noun | hymnos eis ton Apollōna (a hymn to Apollo) |
| Hypar | Waking reality | Noun | hypar kai onar (waking and dream) |
| Hyper | Over; beyond | Preposition | hyper tēs patridos (on behalf of the homeland) |
| Hypnos | Sleep | Noun | Hypnos kai Thanatos (Sleep and Death) |
| Hypo | Under; below | Preposition | hypo tēn gēn (under the earth) |
| Hypokrites | Actor; pretender | Noun | ho hypokritēs en tō theatrō (the actor in the theater) |
| Hypothesis | Foundation; supposition | Noun | hypothesis tou logou (the basis of an argument) |
| Hysteros | Later; latter | Adjective | hysteros chronos (a later time) |
Descriptions
Hades
The Greek god of the dead and the name of his realm. The word is often explained as “the unseen,” which fits a place no living person could look into.
Hagios
Used for anything set apart as sacred. It survives in Greek place names and church names, and in English words like “hagiography,” the writing of saints’ lives.
Hagnos
Describes someone or something free from stain, often in a ritual or moral sense. Ancient Greeks used it for sacred places and for people who were ritually clean.
Haima
The ancient Greek word for blood. It gives English the prefix “hemo-” and words such as hemoglobin, hemorrhage, and hematology.
Hairesis
Originally meant a choice or a chosen party or philosophical school. It is the source of the English word “heresy,” a belief that departs from the accepted one.
Hairetikos
Describes someone who takes a side or chooses their own position. The word later came to mean a person holding a disapproved doctrine, which led to “heretic.”
Halas
A form of the word for salt, related to hals. It gives English “halite” and “halogen,” meaning “salt-former.”
Hals
Meant both salt and, poetically, the salty sea. English picks it up in “halogen” and “halophyte,” a plant that tolerates salty soil.
Hamartia
Literally “missing the target.” Aristotle used it in the Poetics for the mistake or flaw that brings down a tragic hero.
Hamilla
A rivalry or struggle between competitors. It was used for athletic contests and also for a general striving to outdo others.
Haplos
Means one-fold, plain, or without complication. It appears in English words such as “haploid,” describing cells with a single set of chromosomes.
Harmonia
Originally meant a fitting together of parts. It became the musical term for agreeing notes and also the name of a Greek goddess of concord.
Harpe
A curved sword or sickle in Greek myth, carried by Perseus and Cronus. It is also linked to the name of the harpy, a snatching winged spirit.
Hebe
The name of the Greek goddess of youth, who served nectar to the gods. As a common noun it meant the bloom of young adulthood.
Hedone
Pleasure or enjoyment. It gives English “hedonism,” the view that pleasure is the highest good, associated with philosophers like Aristippus.
Hedra
A seat, chair, or foundation. English “cathedral” comes from the related phrase for a bishop’s seat, and “polyhedron” means a many-faced solid.
Hegemon
A leader, guide, or commander, especially of an alliance of states. It is the root of “hegemony,” meaning dominance of one group over others.
Hekaton
The Greek number for one hundred. English uses it in “hecatomb,” a great sacrifice of a hundred oxen.
Hekatombe
A large public sacrifice, originally of a hundred cattle. In English, “hecatomb” came to mean any large-scale slaughter.
Hekon
Describes an act done willingly and on purpose. Greek writers often paired it with its opposite, akōn, to discuss moral responsibility.
Helios
The Greek word for the sun and the name of the sun god who drove a chariot across the sky. English uses it in “helium,” “heliocentric,” and “heliotrope.”
Hellas
The name Greeks use for their own country. In ancient times it meant the whole Greek-speaking world, not a single state.
Hellen
The name for a Greek, said to come from the mythical Hellen, son of Deucalion. It is the root of “Hellenic” and “Hellenistic.”
Hellenikos
Means “of Greece” or “Greek.” It describes the language, customs, and culture of the Greeks.
Hemera
The Greek word for day, and the name of the goddess who personified daylight. English uses it in “ephemeral,” meaning lasting only a day.
Hemi
A prefix meaning half. It appears in English words like “hemisphere” and “hemicycle.”
Hemisys
The adjective form for “half.” Its relatives show up in many English words that start with “hemi-.”
Hepar
The Greek word for liver. It gives English “hepatic” and “hepatitis,” the inflammation of the liver.
Hepta
The Greek number seven. It appears in English words like “heptagon” and “heptathlon.”
Hera
The name of the queen of the Greek gods and the goddess of marriage. Her name may be related to a word for protector.
Herakles
The Greek hero famed for his strength and twelve labors. His name means “glory of Hera,” despite the goddess being his enemy.
Hermeneia
The act of explaining or translating meaning. It is the root of “hermeneutics,” the study of how to interpret texts.
Hermes
The Greek god of travelers, trade, and messages. The word also applies to stone pillar markers set at crossroads and boundaries.
Heros
In Greek, a hero was a mortal of great deeds, often worshipped after death. The word passed into English with a broader meaning.
Hesperos
Refers to the evening and the western sky, and to the evening star. It gives the name “Hesperides,” the nymphs of the evening who guarded the golden apples.
Hesychia
A state of calm, rest, or silence. In Orthodox Christian tradition “hesychasm” is a practice of inner stillness and prayer.
Heteros
Means another, different, or the second of two. It gives English “heterogeneous” and “heterodox.”
Heuriskō
The verb meaning to find or discover. Its perfect form “eureka” is the famous cry attributed to Archimedes.
Hex
The Greek number six. It appears in English words such as “hexagon” and “hexameter.”
Hexis
A settled condition or disposition, often a trait built through repetition. Aristotle used it in his writing on virtue and character.
Hieros
Describes something belonging to the gods. It appears in English “hieroglyph,” meaning “sacred carving,” and “hierarchy,” meaning “rule by priests.”
Hikanos
Means enough, adequate, or capable. It describes things or people that meet what is required.
Hilaros
Means joyful or in good spirits. It gives English “hilarious” through Latin.
Hippos
The Greek word for horse. It appears in “hippopotamus,” meaning “river horse,” and in “hippodrome,” a track for horse racing.
Hippodromos
A track for horse and chariot races. English kept the word as “hippodrome” and now uses it for various entertainment venues.
Histor
One who knows and inquires. It is the root of “historia,” which first meant inquiry.
Historia
Originally an investigation or the results of one. Herodotus used it for his study of the Greco-Persian wars, giving us the word “history.”
Hodos
A road, path, or journey. It appears in English “method” and “exodus,” and in “odometer.”
Holos
Means complete or entire. It gives English “holistic,” “hologram,” and “holocaust,” meaning “wholly burned.”
Homoios
Means like or resembling. It gives English “homeopathy” and “homoiousian,” the belief that two beings are similar in substance.
Homologia
The act of saying the same thing, meaning agreement or acknowledgment. It is the root of “homologous,” used for things that match in structure.
Homos
Means the same. It gives English words such as “homogeneous” and “homonym.”
Hora
Meant a defined time, such as a season or hour. It is the root of English “hour” and “horoscope.”
Horizon
Literally “the limiting circle,” the line where earth and sky appear to meet. English took the word directly.
Horkos
A solemn promise sworn before the gods. Greek myth gave the oath itself a personified spirit, Horkos, who punished false swearing.
Horos
A boundary marker or limit. English “horizon” and “aorist” ultimately trace to this word and its verb.
Hybris
Arrogant pride that defies the gods or humiliates others. In Greek tragedy it often leads the hero toward downfall and divine punishment.
Hydor
The Greek word for water. It forms English “hydrant,” “hydrate,” and “hydrogen,” meaning “water-maker.”
Hydra
A many-headed water monster killed by Heracles. The word is also the root of the name of the freshwater animal “hydra.”
Hygieia
The Greek word for health and the name of the goddess of cleanliness and well-being. It is the root of English “hygiene.”
Hymen
A wedding hymn and the god who presided over weddings. English later applied “hymen” to a membrane through a different path.
Hymnos
A song in praise of a god or hero. It passed into English as “hymn.”
Hypar
Meant a real vision seen when awake, as opposed to a dream (onar). It appears in Homer in contrast with dreams.
Hyper
Means over, above, or beyond. It gives English “hyperactive,” “hyperbole,” and “hypertension.”
Hypnos
The Greek word for sleep and the name of its god, twin of Death. It is the source of “hypnosis” and “hypnotic.”
Hypo
Means under or beneath. It forms English words like “hypothermia,” “hypothesis,” and “hypocrite.”
Hypokrites
Originally a stage actor, one who answers or plays a part. It became “hypocrite,” a person who plays a role in real life.
Hypothesis
A base or starting assumption for an argument or investigation. It gives English “hypothesis” in science.
Hysteros
Means coming after or behind. It forms English “hysteresis,” while “hysteria” comes from the related hystera, the womb.