HOW TO PRONOUNCE
hyena
/haɪˈinə/
Press play to hear how to pronounce hyena.
American Pronunciation Guide · 0:57
Watch on YouTube ↗
Watch on YouTube ↗
What does hyena mean?
noun
- Any of the medium-sized to large feliform carnivores of the family Hyaenidae, native to Africa and Asia and noted for the sound similar to laughter which they can make if excited.
- A man that performs ritualized sex acts with recently widowed women and menarchal girls.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/haɪˈinə/
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
Her husband having lost the graces of his person, she generally alluded to him affectionately as "that old hyena."
Twice more he saw him hurl his arrows of destruction—once at Dango, the hyena, and again at Manu, the monkey.
More book examples (3)
Now it was the Thénardier who appeared to her, with her hideous, hyena mouth, and wrath flashing in her eyes.
The natives say, by the way, that a lion will eat every kind of animal--including even other lions--except a jackal or a hyena.
A fierce cry seemed to give the lie to her favourable report: the clothed hyena rose up, and stood tall on its hind-feet.