noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of hairdo
Explanation
A hairdo is what a stylist gives you when he cuts and styles your hair. You might go to the salon to get a fancy hairdo before your cousin's wedding. Hairdo is an informal word for "hairstyle." It's the way your hair is cut, dried, and arranged on your head, especially if there's some effort put into it. The way your hair looks when you roll out of bed in the morning isn't a hairdo, and pulling it back into a ponytail or covering it with a bandanna isn't a hairdo either. The elaborate beehive piled five inches high on your grandma's head? Now that's a hairdo.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Never mind that it was said to have been dreamed up by kids at a soda fountain that Short frequented and referred mainly to her upswept hairdo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
On the catwalk and in his own life, Valentino exuded luxury down to the last detail of his immaculate hairdo and caramel tan, often photographed with multiple pug dogs at his side.
From Barron's ● Jan. 19, 2026
Her nightmarish laugh, gravity-defying hairdo and ferocious temper were part of a carefully constructed character that ranks as a comic masterpiece.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2025
Actually, he arrived at Flushing Meadows with no hairdo — as in no hair at all, aside from some teeny, tiny specks on his head that come to a widow’s peak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2025
A woman with a giant ozone-depleting hairdo bobbed her head to an oversize Walkman.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
The hashtag "hanfu" has been viewed over eleven billion times on Instagram-like Xiaohongshu, and is filled with posts of women in elaborate costumes and hairdos.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025
A succession of terrible hairdos effectively tones down Ms. Sweeney’s good looks, but she’s still recognizable, and more charmingly eager than she has ever been before.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025
Contestants in the West African nation often spend a huge amount of money on their appearance, from outfits to hairdos - with very few choosing the natural look.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2025
She sports to glossy perfection sensational ‘50s and ‘60s hairdos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2024
“This is one of those hairdos you strut your stuff in. Sisters wearing these know they’re sharp,” Ronnie says, taking out the clippers and going at my hairline again.
From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
