heighten(HY tin) vt.1. to take to a higher position; raise; rise; 2. to make
better, greater, stronger, etc.; increase; intensify
- Alexis hoped that by taking evening classes, she would heightenher value
to the firm. - Regular periods of exercise can only heightenone’s fitness.
- Having been picked on as a child served to heightenPaul’s awareness of the
sensitivities of others.
[-ed, -ing] [Syn. intensify]
heinous(HAY nuhs) adj.terribly evil; wicked; abominable; totally awful - The treatment of Iraqi Kurds by Saddam Hussein’s government can only be
described as heinous. - It is heinousof anyone to attempt to deny that the Holocaust of World War II
actually took place.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. outrageous]
heritage(HER i tij) n.1. any property that has been or will be inherited;
- the rights, status, or duties attached to having been born of a certain status
or at a specific time or place; birthright
- Aunt Dora’s lamp with the reverse-painted shade is Karen and Bob’s
heritage(along with a load of crackle glass). - Freedoms of speech, press, and religion are the heritageof every American
citizen. - It is also every American citizen’s heritageto defend those freedoms.
[Syn. inheritance, birthright]
hierarchy(HY ir AHR kee) n.1. a group of officials, persons, or things arranged
by rank, class, grade, etc.; a group of church officials so arranged; 2. the highest
officials in such a group - The heirarchyof commissioned officers in the army is easy to see because
the ranks are arranged from the low rank of lieutenant to the top rank of
general. - The hierarchyof the Roman Catholic Church begins with the pastor, travels
up through the bishops, archbishops, and cardinals, and ends with the
pope. - From municipality to county to state to federal is the hierarchyof
U.S. government.
[hierarchical adj., hierarchically adv.]
hinder(HIN doer) vt.1. to restrain; hold back; prevent; 2. to impede; make dif-
ficult for —vi. to get in the way of - Police barriers are used at parades to hinderthe public’s physical access to
the marchers. - Jaamal’s sore ankle hinderedhis ability to play basketball.
- A lightning storm would definitely hinderany action taking place at the
golf tournament.
[-ed, -ing] [Syn. obstruct, impede]
124 Essential Vocabulary