hyphen
Americannoun
-
hyphens
plural
verb (used with object)
-
hyphens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hyphened,
past participle, past
-
hyphening
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
hyphensimple
-
hyphenssimple
-
have hyphenedperfect
-
has hyphenedperfect
-
am hypheningprogressive
-
are hypheningprogressive
-
is hypheningprogressive
-
have been hypheningperfect progressive
-
has been hypheningperfect progressive
Past
-
hyphenedsimple
-
had hyphenedperfect
-
was hypheningprogressive
-
were hypheningprogressive
-
had been hypheningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hyphen
1595–1605; < Late Latin < Greek hyphén (adv.) together, derivative of hyph' hén (prepositional phrase), equivalent to hyp ( ó ) under ( see hypo-) + hén, neuter of heîs one
Compare meaning
How does hyphen compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you're writing, a hyphen is useful for forming a compound word or separating the syllables of a word at the end of a line of text. The word merry-go-round uses two hyphens. Often, when you join shorter individual words into one more complicated, compound word, you use a hyphen. Words like twentieth-century, well-intentioned, and high-risk are examples of hyphenated compounds. Hyphen is a Greek word that means "mark joining two syllables or words," which most likely was originally used to describe the way words should be sung.
Vocabulary lists containing hyphen
Punctuation Matters
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Language and Grammar - Introductory
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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:
So he inserted a hyphen to help people say it correctly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The New York Times analysis relies heavily on textual analysis of old emails and posts, and in particular incorrect hyphen usage and British spelling.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026
Versions with and without the hyphen have been used in the past, but a 1960 Privy Council announcement used the hyphenated version, which will be used from now on.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025
These attacks on the em dash — a ChatGPT hyphen?
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2025
And if a word starting with re could be confused with one that’s spelled the same but means something else, add a hyphen.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Missing hyphens or incorrect capitalization, ambiguities about singular and plural nouns or transitive and intransitive verbs — no question is too insignificant.
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2023
Missing hyphens or incorrect capitalization, ambiguities about singular and plural nouns or transitive and intransitive verbs - no question is too insignificant.
From Washington Times ● May 29, 2023
Who cares about hyphens, commas and capital letters?
From Washington Post ● Jul. 26, 2022
Diggs spoke with The Times about the season finale of “Snowpiercer,” acting and hyphens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2022
Some family members get hyphens and some don't.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
To meet the supposed legal exigencies the two names were simply hyphened.
From Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature by Charles W. Bardsley
These slight differences are by no means accidental, because Alms-basket is hyphened to count as two words and thereby cause the long word to be the 151st word.
From Bacon is Shake-Speare by Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence
The shortening of the first line is never a blemish, but a too short second line following a hyphened first line is always a fault.
From Division of Words Rules for the Division of Words at the Ends of Lines, with Remarks on Spelling, Syllabication and Pronunciation by Frederick W. (Frederick William) Hamilton
Mr. Tempest, unimpressed by the hyphened St. Clair, was unwilling to allow the courtship to proceed.
From The Simpkins Plot by George A. Birmingham
Golden-nob is 'a variety of apple'; see E.D.D.: and as a special name, which the passage implies, it should be hyphened.
From Society for Pure English, Tract 05 The Englishing of French Words; the Dialectal Words in Blunden's Poems by Society for Pure English
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.
