What does hooded mean?
Hooded means covered or fitted with a hood, as in a hooded coat, cloak, or robe. The word can also describe a face or figure whose head is concealed, and it is frequently used in literary descriptions of a “hooded figure” or “hooded stranger,” where concealment may suggest mystery or menace. A separate figurative sense applies to eyes that look partly hidden beneath heavy eyelids or shadow. Hooded is the adjective derived from hood and is used in both British and American English. Its strongest everyday association is with garments that include a covering for the head, while its more evocative uses often place it in stories involving disguise, secrecy, or suspense.
Wearing, covered by, or fitted with a hood; having a hood-like covering.
"He pulled up the hooded collar and walked into the snow."
Common of clothing and figures whose head or face is concealed.
Describing eyes that appear partly concealed, especially by heavy eyelids or shadow.
"He watched her with a suspicious, hooded gaze."
This is a figurative and often literary use.
A single word can shift a story from ordinary to ominous: the difference may be only that a figure is hooded.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of hooded
Hooded was formed within English by adding the suffix -ed to hood, an Old English word for a covering drawn over the head. The base word hood has relatives in other Germanic languages, including Dutch hoed, and developed in English into a general term for head coverings and, by extension, outer garments. The participial adjective hooded originally referred to being covered with such a hood and later acquired figurative uses for concealed faces and shadowed eyes.
Related word forms
How hooded is actually used
The adjective is common in descriptions of clothing, figures, and eyes. In literary or suspenseful contexts, a hooded figure may suggest anonymity, concealment, or menace.
Easily confused with hooded
Hooded describes something covered by or fitted with a hood, while hoodwinked means deceived or tricked.