hoodie

IPA/ˈhʊd.i/
IPA/ˈhʊd.i/

hoodie — noun

  • hoodiesingular
  • hoodiesplural

1. a casual upper-body garment made of soft, thick cotton, with a hood sewn into th

1.nounB1
Definition

a casual upper-body garment made of soft, thick cotton, with a hood sewn into the neckline that can be pulled over the head

Example

Tamás pulled his hoodie over his head when the rain began.

pull a hoodie over one's head

Kenji folded his favourite grey hoodie and slipped it into his backpack.

Common collocations
  • zip-up hoodie
  • pullover hoodie
  • baggy hoodie
  • oversized hoodie
  • plain hoodie
Synonyms
  • hooded sweatshirt

    more formal; common in product descriptions and catalogues

  • hooded top

    common in British English; slightly broader, can include non-cotton fabrics

  • pullover

    a broader term for any garment pulled over the head; does not specify a hood

Common Mistakes

He wore a hoody to school.
He wore a hoodie to school.
The standard spelling is 'hoodie', not 'hoody'.

2. a person who is wearing a hooded sweatshirt, often with the hood pulled up so th

2.nounB2
Definition

a person who is wearing a hooded sweatshirt, often with the hood pulled up so the face is partly hidden; used mainly in news reports and informal speech

Example

Talia noticed a hoodie standing by the bus shelter long after the last bus had gone.

metonymic use: the garment stands for the wearer

The night cashier said two hoodies walked through the shop five minutes before closing and left empty-handed.

Usage Note

This is a metonymic use — the item of clothing stands for the person wearing it. It often appears in news reports about crime and can carry a negative tone in some contexts. Not typically used for someone you know personally.

Word family

  • hood
    nounB1
  • hooded
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A sweatshirt is made of the same soft, thick cotton as a hoodie but does not necessarily have a hood — many sweatshirts have a simple round neckline. A jacket is typically heavier, opens fully at the front with a zip or buttons, and is worn as outerwear against cold or rain. A pullover is any garment you pull over your head to put on; it is a broad category that includes hoodies but also sweaters and fleeces, with no requirement of a hood. An anorak is a waterproof, often windproof jacket with a hood, designed for outdoor activities like hiking — it is technical outerwear, while a hoodie is casual cotton wear. If it keeps you dry on a mountain, it is an anorak; if you throw it on to go to the shop, it is a hoodie.

sweatshirt ↗jacket ↗pullover ↗anorak

Common collocations

Phrases

  • hoodie and jeans
  • put the hood up
  • pull the hood over your head

Prepositions

  • in a hoodie

Etymology

English

Formed from 'hood' (the head covering) plus the diminutive suffix '-ie', which adds a sense of familiarity or casualness. The word first appeared in American English during the 1990s, originally referring only to the hooded sweatshirt garment, which itself had been popularised by sportswear brands and hip-hop culture in the 1970s and 1980s. The metonymic sense — using 'hoodie' to mean a person wearing one — emerged in British tabloid journalism in the early 2000s, often in stories about youth crime and antisocial behaviour.

First known use

1990

1990, in the meaning defined above