wavy

¹

[ wey-vee ]

adjective

, wav·i·er, wav·i·est.

1. curving alternately in opposite directions; undulating:

   a wavy course;

   wavy hair.

2. abounding in or characterized by waves:

   the wavy sea.

3. resembling or suggesting waves:

   a cotton material with a wavy pattern.

4. vibrating or tremulous; wavering; unsteady.

wavy

²

[ wey-vee ]

noun

, plural wa·vies.

1. wavey.

wavy

/ ˈweɪvɪ /

adjective

1. abounding in or full of waves
2. moving or proceeding in waves or undulations
3. (of hair) set in or having waves and curls
4. unstable or wavering

Derived Forms

• ˈwavily, adverb
• ˈwaviness, noun

Other Words From

• wavi·ly adverb
• wavi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wavy¹

First recorded in 1555–65; wave + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Crusius, 21 years old, with wavy dark brown hair, sparse stubble collecting on his round chin, was awkward and introverted.

From Salon

Waterbeds account for less than 2% of all mattress sales today, according to the Specialty Sleep Assn., but the few remaining retailers receive daily calls from stubborn holdouts like Gerrish — mostly older folks who bought a fluid-filled mattress decades ago, fell in love with its wavy motion and won’t sleep on anything else.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s been a waterbed devotee for 40 years and is surprised that the wavy mattresses have never made a comeback.

From Los Angeles Times

The wavy vinyl mattresses that became a symbol of the era’s sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll lifestyle may no longer be part of the collective consciousness except as the butt of a joke in a period film or as a forbidden item on a boilerplate apartment lease.

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, during Chiles' Olympic performance, the gymnast showed off square-shaped, airbrushed blue and red snakeskin tips, which were separated by a wavy gold line to play with symmetry.

From Salon

Related Words

• coiled
• curly
• curved
• sinuous