light-haired

light-haired — adjective

1. having hair that is light in colour, such as blond or light brown

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

having hair that is light in colour, such as blond or light brown

Example

Anong, the light-haired girl in the front row, answered every question.

attributive use before a noun

Henrik's light-haired sister took her first steps at the park yesterday.

Common collocations
  • light-haired girl
  • light-haired woman
  • light-haired man
  • light-haired child
Synonyms
  • fair-haired

    same basic meaning; slightly more common in British English

  • blond

    more specific; refers to yellow or golden hair rather than any light colour

  • fair

    broader meaning that can also describe skin tone

Antonyms
  • dark-haired

    having dark-coloured hair, typically brown or black

Grammar Patterns

attributive and predicative

Usage Note

Less common than 'blond' or 'fair-haired'; often used alongside other physical features such as eye colour or height when describing a person's appearance.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Light-haired', 'fair-haired', and 'blond' all describe light hair colour but differ in specificity and register. 'Blond' (sometimes 'blonde' for women) refers specifically to yellow or golden hair and is the most common of the three. 'Fair-haired' is a close synonym but also carries a slightly more formal or literary tone and may imply a lighter complexion overall. 'Light-haired' is the most neutral and literal term — it simply means light-coloured hair (blond, light brown, or ash-toned) without the extra connotations of 'fair' or 'blond'. For example: 'She has light hair — a warm honey-blond' is a neutral description, whereas 'the fair-haired child of the family' sounds slightly literary and may suggest favouritism.

fair-haired ↗blond ↗fair ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • light-haired and blue-eyed
  • light-haired or dark-haired

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The adjective 'light-haired' is formed by combining 'light' (meaning 'pale in colour', from Old English lēoht) with 'haired' (from 'hair' plus the suffix '-ed', meaning 'having hair'). The compound has been used in English since at least the 16th century to describe a person's hair colour.