Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hives

/haɪvz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.12 in modern English

Syllables: hives
IPA: /haɪvz/

11

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Itchy, swollen, red areas of the skin which can appear quickly in response to an allergen or due to other conditions.

noun

verb

third-person singular simple present indicative of hive

Example Sentences

"So when I was diagnosed with a fairly difficult-to-treat disease called idiopathic angioedema and chronic urticaria (a fancy way of saying we don’t know why you swell and hey, enjoy the 24/7 hives) six months ago, I wasn't quite sure how to cope."
"When she recovers enough to look down at her arms [...] she blinks to see them covered in faint, but rising, puffy welts. Hives. She's breaking out in hives."

Etymology

Uncertain, but frequently connected with heave, even if such a derivation is phonologically difficult.

Inflected Forms

hive (singular)

Synonyms

urticaria nettle-rash urtication nettle rash

Rhymes With

drives arrives wives knives survives derives dives ives strives fives thrives revives

Questions

How do you pronounce hives?: The recorded pronunciation is /haɪvz/.
What does hives mean?: Itchy, swollen, red areas of the skin which can appear quickly in response to an allergen or due to other conditions.
Where does hives come from?: Uncertain, but frequently connected with heave, even if such a derivation is phonologically difficult.

How to pronounce hives

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hives”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/haɪvz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “hives”.
Repeat and practice — Say “hives” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.