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Synonyms

hoarse

American  
[hawrs, hohrs] / hɔrs, hoʊrs /

adjective

hoarser, hoarsest

  1. having a vocal tone characterized by weakness of intensity and excessive breathiness; husky.

    the hoarse voice of the auctioneer.
    Synonyms:
    rough, throaty, grating, harsh

  2. having a raucous voice.

  3. making a harsh, low sound.

hoarse British  
/ hɔːs /

adjective

  1. gratingly harsh or raucous in tone

  2. low, harsh, and lacking in intensity

    a hoarse whisper

  3. having a husky voice, as through illness, shouting, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • hoarsely adverb
  • hoarseness noun

Etymology

Origin of hoarse

1350–1400; Middle English hors < Old Norse *hārs (assumed variant of hāss ); replacing Middle English hoos, Old English hās, cognate with Old High German heis, Old Saxon hēs

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.

"All they stand for is anger, hatred, and destruction," roared a hoarse Viktor Orban.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Several supporters in Dakar, their voices still hoarse and weary, told AFP they were disappointed by such threats.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

The graduates were hoarse and flights were canceled, but nobody seemed to mind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

“I still recorded the show with my very hoarse voice, but then put the AI voice over that, telling the audience from the very beginning, I’m sick,” Mandy said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

Her voice, which everyone said sounded as if she were hoarse, came forth in the rhythmic jíbaro dialect I loved.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

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.