hem
1 of 5noun
ˈhem 
1
: a border of a cloth article doubled back and stitched down
2
: rim, margin
bright green hem of reeds about the ponds
R. M. Lockley
R. M. Lockleyhem
2 of 5verb (1)
hemmed; hemming
transitive verb
1
a
: to finish with a hem
b
: border, edge
2
: to surround in a restrictive manner : confine —usually used with in
hemmed in by enemy troops
intransitive verb
: to make a hem in sewing
hemmer noun
hem
3 of 5verb (2)
ˈhem
hemmed; hemming
intransitive verb
1
: to utter the sound represented by hem
hemmed and hawed before answering
2
: equivocate
the administration hemmed and hawed over the students' demands
hem
4 of 5interjection
usually read as
ˈhem —often used to indicate a vocalized pause in speaking
hem-
5 of 5combining form
variants or hemo-
: blood
hemagglutination
hemoflagellate
Synonyms
Noun
- border
- borderline
- bound
- boundary
- brim
- circumference
- compass
- confines
- edge
- edging
- end
- frame
- fringe
- margin
- perimeter
- periphery
- rim
- skirt
- skirting
- verge
Verb (1)
- box (in)
- cage
- closet
- coop (up)
- corral
- encage
- encase
- enclose
- inclose
- envelop
- fence (in)
- hedge
- house
- immure
- include
- mew (up)
- pen
- wall (in)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun shorten the hem of the dress the hem of the blouse was gold
Recent Examples on the Web Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 4 June 2022 Mitchell's low-rise, light-wash pair were from Levi's and featured subtle distress at the knees and a raw hem. Eva Thomas, PEOPLE.com, 14 Feb. 2022 Her stylist couldn’t have found her a black slip that came to the same hem as the dress? Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2022 The dress features spaghetti straps, a cowl neck, a wrap hem, and ruching, and it's been praised by shoppers for its stretchy feel and comfortable fit. Rachel Simon, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2022 The model attended the party with her husband Justin, who wore a casual fit including a gray sweatshirt from his brand Drew House and oversized jeans with an unfinished hem that reached the floor. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 20 Aug. 2022 The high-low style hem is sure to be a conversation starter. Cameron Jenkins, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 My pair is the basic V4 blue steel with a cutoff hem. Adrienne So, Wired, 31 July 2022 The 58-year-old actor rocked a matching brown linen blazer with a tattered hem to complement his knee-length skirt. Fox News, 21 July 2022 Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 Sep. 2022 Hang the eyes and tack or hem the eyebrows in place. Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 5 July 2022 Inky volcanic rocks, after which the residency is named, hem the shore. Vogue, 1 June 2022 Brothy toast needs walls to hem in all of its runny goodness, a little hug around the food that keeps it together. Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appétit, 10 May 2022 The Russian leader, who was speaking at a Tuesday news conference alongside Hungary’s prime minister, also accused the United States and NATO of using Ukraine to hem in Russia and ignoring Moscow’s security concerns. Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2022 The moderates would hem them in, leave Democrats empty-handed except for their initial effort to ward off the pandemic. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2021 If the virus effectively stands still, the increase in the rollout of vaccines worldwide that is projected to take place over the next half year or so could start to hem the virus in. Helen Branswell, STAT, 20 Sep. 2021 All that’s to say, Hoshikawa is already planning on bribing her sister, a Parsons design student, to hem it for her. refinery29.com, 18 Aug. 2021 Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 5 July 2022 Inky volcanic rocks, after which the residency is named, hem the shore. Vogue, 1 June 2022 Brothy toast needs walls to hem in all of its runny goodness, a little hug around the food that keeps it together. Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appétit, 10 May 2022 The Russian leader, who was speaking at a Tuesday news conference alongside Hungary’s prime minister, also accused the United States and NATO of using Ukraine to hem in Russia and ignoring Moscow’s security concerns. Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2022 The moderates would hem them in, leave Democrats empty-handed except for their initial effort to ward off the pandemic. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2021 If the virus effectively stands still, the increase in the rollout of vaccines worldwide that is projected to take place over the next half year or so could start to hem the virus in. Helen Branswell, STAT, 20 Sep. 2021 All that’s to say, Hoshikawa is already planning on bribing her sister, a Parsons design student, to hem it for her. refinery29.com, 18 Aug. 2021 Here, there’s a coffee shop and an outdoor public terrace that opens to views of the main library and the skyscrapers that hem in Bryant Park. New York Times, 4 July 2021 See More
Noun
And though the body is relaxed, the way that the fabric falls down to the high low hem almost creates a soft pleating that indicates, yes, there is a body under there. Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 4 June 2022 Mitchell's low-rise, light-wash pair were from Levi's and featured subtle distress at the knees and a raw hem. Eva Thomas, PEOPLE.com, 14 Feb. 2022 Her stylist couldn’t have found her a black slip that came to the same hem as the dress? Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2022 The dress features spaghetti straps, a cowl neck, a wrap hem, and ruching, and it's been praised by shoppers for its stretchy feel and comfortable fit. Rachel Simon, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2022 The model attended the party with her husband Justin, who wore a casual fit including a gray sweatshirt from his brand Drew House and oversized jeans with an unfinished hem that reached the floor. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 20 Aug. 2022 The high-low style hem is sure to be a conversation starter. Cameron Jenkins, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 My pair is the basic V4 blue steel with a cutoff hem. Adrienne So, Wired, 31 July 2022 The 58-year-old actor rocked a matching brown linen blazer with a tattered hem to complement his knee-length skirt. Fox News, 21 July 2022 Verb
With temperatures cooling down and hem lengths naturally growing longer, Emily Ratajkowski is leading the way on autumnal dressing. Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 Sep. 2022 Hang the eyes and tack or hem the eyebrows in place. Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 5 July 2022 Inky volcanic rocks, after which the residency is named, hem the shore. Vogue, 1 June 2022 Brothy toast needs walls to hem in all of its runny goodness, a little hug around the food that keeps it together. Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appétit, 10 May 2022 The Russian leader, who was speaking at a Tuesday news conference alongside Hungary’s prime minister, also accused the United States and NATO of using Ukraine to hem in Russia and ignoring Moscow’s security concerns. Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2022 The moderates would hem them in, leave Democrats empty-handed except for their initial effort to ward off the pandemic. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2021 If the virus effectively stands still, the increase in the rollout of vaccines worldwide that is projected to take place over the next half year or so could start to hem the virus in. Helen Branswell, STAT, 20 Sep. 2021 All that’s to say, Hoshikawa is already planning on bribing her sister, a Parsons design student, to hem it for her. refinery29.com, 18 Aug. 2021 Verb
Hang the eyes and tack or hem the eyebrows in place. Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 5 July 2022 Inky volcanic rocks, after which the residency is named, hem the shore. Vogue, 1 June 2022 Brothy toast needs walls to hem in all of its runny goodness, a little hug around the food that keeps it together. Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appétit, 10 May 2022 The Russian leader, who was speaking at a Tuesday news conference alongside Hungary’s prime minister, also accused the United States and NATO of using Ukraine to hem in Russia and ignoring Moscow’s security concerns. Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2022 The moderates would hem them in, leave Democrats empty-handed except for their initial effort to ward off the pandemic. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2021 If the virus effectively stands still, the increase in the rollout of vaccines worldwide that is projected to take place over the next half year or so could start to hem the virus in. Helen Branswell, STAT, 20 Sep. 2021 All that’s to say, Hoshikawa is already planning on bribing her sister, a Parsons design student, to hem it for her. refinery29.com, 18 Aug. 2021 Here, there’s a coffee shop and an outdoor public terrace that opens to views of the main library and the skyscrapers that hem in Bryant Park. New York Times, 4 July 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Middle High German hemmen to hem in, Armenian kamel to press
Interjection
imitative
Combining form
Latin haem-, haemo-, from Greek haim-, haimo-, from haima
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Verb (2)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Interjection
circa 1525, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing hem
Kids Definition
hem 1 of 2
noun
ˈhem
: a border of a cloth article made by folding back an edge and sewing it down
hem
2 of 2verb
hemmed; hemming
1
: to finish with or make a hem
I hemmed my skirt.
2
: surround sense 1
Our yard is hemmed in by trees.
hemmed
verb
1
as in hawed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- hawed
- hesitated
- dithered
- waited
- staggered
- procrastinated
- vacillated
- lingered
- hung back
- scrupled
- paused
- faltered
- halted
- wavered
- dawdled
- wabbled
- teetered
- delayed
- balanced
- pondered
- wobbled
- deliberated
- weighed
- debated
- dallied
- backed down
- waffled
- hedged
- shilly-shallied
- swayed
- considered
- equivocated
- oscillated
- chickened (out)
- pussyfooted
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- decided
- plunged (in)
- stirred
- continued
- dove (in)
- dived (in)
- advanced
- budged
2
as in bordered
Synonyms & Similar Words
- bordered
- bounded
- fringed
- surrounded
- trimmed
- skirted
- edged
- rimmed
- demarcated
- circumscribed
- encircled
- sketched
- framed
- traced
- outlined
- environed
- margined
- walled
- delineated
- looped
- silhouetted
- defined
- confined
- enclosed
- restricted
- girdled
- ringed
- curbed
- restrained
- girthed
- circled
- rounded
- limited
- inclosed
- controlled
- checked
- compassed