Meaning & use
the hood
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformalslangAmerican
A slang way of referring to a particular neighborhood, especially a poor or tough urban area.
Grammar: Used with 'the' and usually without any further article: I grew up in the hood.
Patterns
- in the hood
- from the hood
- back to the hood
He says he learned to play basketball in the hood.
She moved back to the hood after college to help her family.
People in the hood often feel ignored by city officials.
phrasefixed phraseinformalslangAmerican
A slang term for the neighborhood or area where someone grew up, used with a sense of belonging.
Grammar: Often used with 'my', 'your', 'his', etc., instead of 'the': my hood, your hood.
Patterns
- my hood
- your hood
- represent the hood
This is my hood, so I know all the best places to eat.
He still hangs out in his old hood on weekends.
They make music about life in their hood.
Common combinations
- in the hood
- There's a new community center in the hood.
- the hood life
- The movie shows the hood life in the 1990s.
- represent the hood
- Some rappers represent the hood in their lyrics.
Synonyms and how they differ
- neighborhood
- Neutral and standard; use it in formal writing instead of 'the hood'.
- ghetto
- Also informal and often offensive; it strongly suggests poverty and segregation.
- block
- Informal but less loaded; it usually means the street or small area around you.
Commonly confused: the hood or hood?
the hood vs hood
'Hood' alone usually means the part of a coat or a car cover; 'the hood' as a place is slang and needs 'the'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'the hood' correctly to mean a neighborhood?
Choose one answer.
'In the hood' is the slang phrase for a neighborhood. The other options use 'hood' as a physical part of clothing or a car, not as a place.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the hood”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.