any rodentlike mammal of the genus Lepus, of the family Leporidae, having long ears, a divided upper lip, and long hind limbs adapted for leaping.
any of the larger species of this genus, as distinguished from certain of the smaller ones known as rabbits.
any of various similar animals of the same family.
Astronomy. Hare, the constellation Lepus.
the player pursued in the game of hare and hounds.
any solitary leporid mammal of the genus Lepus, such as L. europaeus ( European hare ). Hares are larger than rabbits, having longer ears and legs, and live in shallow nests (forms)
informal to defeat someone completely
to be on good terms with both sides
Sir David. born 1947, British dramatist and theatre director: his plays include Plenty (1978), Pravda (with Howard Brenton, 1985), The Secret Rapture (1989), Racing Demon (1990), The Permanent Way (2003), and Stuff Happens (2004)
William. 19th century, Irish murderer and bodysnatcher: associate of William Burke
What’s the difference between hares and rabbits? Hares and rabbits are both rodentlike mammals in the Leporidae family, but they’re two different species. They look similar, with long ears and large hind legs that make them great jumpers and fast runners. One main difference is that hares are bigger than rabbits. They also appear much differently at birth. Hares are born furry, open-eyed, and ready to run. Rabbits, however, are born without fur and are unable to see at first. To protect their helpless kits or kittens (you can call them bunnies but that’s not a technical term), rabbits dig underground burrows. Hares, on the other hand, build shallow nests in the grass. So, the bigger it is, the more likely it is to be a hare. If it has a burrow underground, it’s a rabbit. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between hares and rabbits.
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hara; cognate with Danish hare; akin to German Hase “hare,” Old English hasu “gray”
Hares are animals that are closely related to rabbits but larger, with longer ears and hind legs. Remember the overconfident animal that lost a race against a tortoise in Aesop's famous fable? That was a hare! Hares and rabbits look very similar, but they're completely different species. Rabbits burrow, while hares stay above ground and give birth in nests in the grass. Unlike rabbits, hares are furry when they're born and able to see and move around independently. Their diets are even different — rabbits like grasses and vegetables, while hares dine on twigs and bark. And while you can keep a rabbit as a pet, hares haven't been domesticated.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That motto, and the company’s approach, has led some to call Blue Origin the tortoise to SpaceX’s hare.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
Forbes calls that “the tortoise and hare approach.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Once famous for a greasy pole-climbing competition that would grant the winner a piglet, past games have included horse racing, hare coursing and shooting.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
Pliny the Elder judged that the hare “is born to be all creatures’ prey.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025
Crouching low, the robot wound her way beneath the smoke and around the flames and gently scooped up the young hare.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
When Leo Hare moved to Russia from Texas in late 2023, after being granted asylum, he was convinced he was building a better future for his family.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
David Hare, who directed Hurt in “The Secret Rapture,” described her as “a fine ensemble actress” to the New York Times in 1989.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
Paul Hare, a former British ambassador to Cuba and Venezuela, argued that Cuban intelligence underestimated US access to "insider cooperation in Venezuela" -- an informant within Maduro's camp.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
Hare says he expects earnings growth to start in the June quarter and, as 2026 progresses, year-over-year sales and earnings comparisons to improve.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2025
But as he did so, Hare slipped out of his skin and sailed away in the air.
From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith
As Apple plays the tortoise role—slow and steady wins the race—the sprint between the two hares is what’s captivating investors.
From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025
"We have seen hares here now, which we never had a year or two ago, before we started doing this. So it's really exciting..."
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2025
Musk oxen and snowshoe hares inhabit the base perimeter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025
The comparison concluded that bones from red foxes; bobcats, mountain lions, lynx or the American cheetah; and hares or rabbits were used to make needles at the LaPrele site.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 27, 2024
Finally the dogs can stand it no longer and they take off from the trail, chasing one of the hares, and I get a thrilling ride down a long hill.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Kohli pushed, prodded and whipped the ball into gaps, then hared between the wickets.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2023
He picked himself up and hared off in pursuit of Carapaz, bashing on his displaced left-brake lever as he descended, trying to hammer it back straight on his handlebars.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 17, 2020
Dickson reminds us that when Wen Jiabao, then China’s premier, came to England in 2011, he flew first to a small airport outside Birmingham and hared off to Stratford to pay homage.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2016
Darmian hared down the right and pinged the ball across the face of goal!
From The Guardian ● Nov. 25, 2015
Well, at last they hared down a trap-door in an archway into the bowels of the earth.
From Mystery at Geneva An Improbable Tale of Singular Happenings by Macaulay, Rose, Dame
Broady was haring in, sharing a few words, going chest to chest and wanting to show he was a top young player.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2023
Those jurors will be taken to Carroll County from that county for the trial, which is scheduled for March but unlikely to occur before the fall, Gull said at the haring.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2023
A final defender comes haring across, all pumping thighs and straining arms.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2022
Henry heads the ball inside from the touchline and suddenly Florent Malouda is haring in on goal.
From The Guardian ● May 7, 2020
"The gods help this potboy if he's sent me off haring after shadows."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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.
