Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to cut hair

to cut hair

80 1.0
Make a person's hair shorter using scissors or clippers
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : cortar el pelo
  • I cut my hair myself.

You know, I'll cut your hair and you fix my shoes.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • I'm like really, I really want to cut my hair like layers into my hair again.

    Carli Bybel

  • However, he started cutting my hair way shorter than shoulder length.

  • Whatever your look, they know how to cut and shape your hair to fit you best.

    Bussin' With The Boys

  • We are going to cut your hair.

    Kundun (1997)

  • Which is why I cut my hair so short, to make my head smaller.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • You know, I'll cut your hair and you fix my shoes.

    Ed Mylett

  • But Speaking of hair, we're actually going to hopefully cut the boy's hair today at home.

    Emily Norris

  • It's easier to cut hair when it's wet as it's more malleable.

  • At the beginning of quarantine, I tried to cut my son's hair and it was very terrible.

  • I need to cut hair before the party starts so everyone looks nice.

Synonyms

to cut
vsto cut hair
623 2.1

To make shapes using scissors or a knife

shortens a person's length specifically rather than other materials
to trim
vsto cut hair
95 2.6

Cut something to make it smaller or neater

shortens overall length rather than small neat edits
to clip
vsto cut hair
51 1.6

To cut hair or plants shorter with scissors

shortens a person's length generally without focusing on precision
to shear
vsto cut hair
9 3.5

To cut wool or hair from an animal with large scissors

shortens a person's length with any tool not only large ones
to crop
vsto cut hair
4 2.5

To cut something very short, especially hair or plants

shortens a person's length by any amount not necessarily very short
to barber
vsto cut hair
1 1.8

To cut or trim people's hair and beards

shortens a person's length without implying professional service

How Short

shave
51 1.0
to crop
4 2.5
to cut hair
80 1.0
to trim
95 2.6

Surface Forms

cut hair infinitive
cut hair past
cut hair past participle
cutting hair present participle
cuts hair third person singular

Morphology

cut + hair

The meaning 'to shorten the length of someone's hair' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'cut' (to trim or sever) with 'hair' (the strands on a head or body); it is a literal action + object construction. This verb + noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

The phrase cut hair comes from the simple image of using scissors or clippers to make someone's hair shorter by cutting it. That's why it means 'to shorten the length of someone's hair'.