hyponym UK /ˈhaɪpəʊ.nɪm/US /ˈhaɪ.poʊ.nɪm/ noun1 •A more specific term; a subordinate grouping word or phrase; a term designating a subclass of another more general class described by the given word.The words “dog”, “cat”, and “horse” are hyponyms of “animal” because dogs, cats, and horses are types of animal. formshyponyms