long-haired

IPA/lˈɒŋhˈeəd/
IPA/lˈɔŋhˈɛɹd/

long-haired — noun

1. a person who is deeply interested in abstract ideas or theories and is thought t

1.nounC1
Definition

a person who is deeply interested in abstract ideas or theories and is thought to lack awareness of how ordinary life works — often used in a critical way

Example

The article dismissed the professor as a long-haired who had never held a practical job.

often used dismissively in media or conversation

Wei's father called him a long-haired for studying philosophy instead of learning a trade.

Common collocations
  • dismiss (someone) as a long-haired
  • call (someone) a long-haired
Synonyms
  • egghead

    more informal and slightly playful; focuses on academic cleverness rather than impracticality

  • ivory-tower intellectual

    less common; emphasises being disconnected from ordinary life

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

long-haired + verb (singular/plural)

Usage Note

Frequently carries a negative tone, implying that the person's knowledge is useless in real-world situations. The shortened form 'longhair' is also common.

Common Mistakes

He is a long-haired' (as adjective).
He is a long-haired' (as noun) or 'He is long-haired' (adjective).
The noun form can sound odd if the reader expects an adjective. The adjective is far more common and safer to use.

2. a person who has strong creative or artistic talents and interests, especially i

2.nounC1
Definition

a person who has strong creative or artistic talents and interests, especially in visual art, music, or literature

Example

Local long-haireds gathered at the café by the art school to paint together.

plural form 'long-haireds' for a group of artistic people

Diego, a self-described long-haired, spent every weekend playing classical guitar in the city square.

Common collocations
  • self-described long-haired
  • a gathering of long-haireds
Synonyms
  • bohemian

    broader in meaning; includes a non-traditional lifestyle, not just artistic talent

  • artist

    more neutral and widely used; no counterculture implication

Antonyms
  • square

    dated slang for a conventional, non-artistic person

Grammar Patterns

long-haired + verb (singular/plural)

Usage Note

Can sound dated or slightly stereotypical; it was more common in the 1960s–1970s to describe counterculture artists. The shortened form 'longhair' is sometimes used in music contexts.

3. a person whose hair grows to shoulder length or below

3.nounB1
Definition

a person whose hair grows to shoulder length or below

Example

The long-haireds at the music festival all wore colourful headbands and loose cotton shirts.

plural 'long-haireds' for a group with the same hairstyle

Mei noticed that long-haireds in the queue had tied their hair back against the heat.

Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

long-haired + verb (singular)

Usage Note

The most neutral sense of the noun form, describing hair length without judgement. In everyday speech, the adjective 'long-haired' is far more common than the noun form — most speakers say 'a person with long hair' rather than 'a long-haired'.

Common Mistakes

I saw two long-haireds walking down the street.' (natural but rare).
I saw two people with long hair walking down the street.
The noun form exists but is uncommon; most speakers prefer adjectival or periphrastic constructions.

4. a domestic cat that has long, thick fur covering its body, tail, and sometimes i

4.nounB1
Definition

a domestic cat that has long, thick fur covering its body, tail, and sometimes its ears and paws

Example

The long-haired on the sofa needs daily brushing to keep its thick fur from tangling.

grammar pattern: 'the long-haired' as a cat breed descriptor

Fatima's long-haired won first prize at the show for its silky coat and calm nature.

Common collocations
  • rescue long-haired
  • long-haired breed
  • brush a long-haired
  • long-haired kitten
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

long-haired + verb (singular)

Usage Note

Common in pet-adoption and breeder contexts. This is a descriptive category, not an official breed name. Well-known long-haired breeds include the Persian, Maine Coon, and Ragdoll.

Common Mistakes

I bought a long-haired cat breed called Persian.
I bought a Persian cat, which is a long-haired breed.
'Persian' is the breed name; 'long-haired' is the fur-type category.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

When describing someone by hair length alone, 'person with long hair' is the most neutral and everyday choice. The noun 'long-haired' (or 'long-haired person') is grammatically correct but sounds slightly formal or journalistic in speech. 'Longhair' (one word, no hyphen) is an informal alternative found in older texts and music subcultures. In practice, English speakers almost always say 'someone with long hair' rather than using the noun form. The difference is register: the periphrastic phrase works in all contexts, while the noun form can feel dated or even dismissive outside of countercultural or pet-breed references. For example: 'I saw a woman with long hair on the bus' sounds natural; 'I saw a long-haired on the bus' sounds odd to most native ears.

long-haired personperson with long hairlonghair ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • dismiss (someone) as a long-haired
  • call (someone) a long-haired
  • self-described long-haired
  • rescue long-haired

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'long-haired' began as an adjective combining Old English 'lang' (long) with 'hær' (hair), plus the suffix '-ed' meaning 'having'. It was first recorded as an adjective in the 1500s. The noun form emerged in American English in the mid-1900s, first used for intellectuals (especially university professors seen as impractical), then for counterculture figures with long hair, and eventually for the literal hairstyle and cat-fur type. The shorter variant 'longhair' appeared around the same time in bohemian and music circles.