Hawkish describes a central bank leaning toward higher interest rates — prioritising the fight against inflation, even at some cost to growth. Dovish describes the opposite: a bank leaning toward lower rates or holding steady, prioritising growth and employment, generally because inflation looks contained.
These aren't just two boxes — most central banks sit somewhere on a five-point scale (very dovish, dovish, neutral, hawkish, very hawkish), based on the actual decision (hike, hold, cut), how the committee voted, and the tone of the statement relative to what the market expected going in.
A more hawkish stance tends to support a currency because higher rates increase the return on holding that currency's bonds and deposits, which raises foreign demand for it. The relationship isn't automatic, though — it depends on whether the market had already priced in the hawkish shift before it was confirmed.