hairy

[ hair-ee ]

adjective

, hair·i·er, hair·i·est.

1. covered with hair; having much hair.

   Synonyms: shaggy, woolly, furry

2. consisting of or resembling hair:

   moss of a hairy texture.

3. Informal.
   1. causing anxiety or fright:

      a hairy trip through the rapids.

   2. full of hardship or difficulty:

      a hairy exam; a hairy illness.

hairy

/ ˈhɛərɪ /

adjective

1. having or covered with hair
2. slang.
   1. difficult or problematic
   2. scaring, dangerous, or exciting

Derived Forms

• ˈhairiness, noun

Other Words From

• hairi·ness noun
• un·hairi·ness noun
• un·hairy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hairy¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, hairy is from the Middle English word heeri. See hair, -y ¹

Example Sentences

If you’re hoping to tackle some other hairy areas, look for a model that comes with a nose, ear, or eyebrow trimmer to help you achieve your final look.

From Popular-Science

Any predator foolish enough to bite a Lophiomys imhausi gets a hairy mouthful of bitter toxins that human poachers use on arrows for hunting big game.

From Science News

Though 2020 was dominated by big, hairy societal change, science and technology took significant steps forward.

From Singularity Hub 

The old man with the bad cough, hairy knuckles, and gray eyes.

From MIT Technology Review

He dumped the contents onto a hairy monster, and the monster’s hair grew and looked beautiful.

From Science News For Students

His play The Hairy Ape, the agent noted, “could easily lend itself to radical propaganda.”

From The Daily Beast

Indeed, one female student told ASU News that cultivating a hairy existence was a “life-changing experience.”

From The Daily Beast

In one mortuary, she observes the very hairy body of a dead fascist, “the nearest human thing I have ever seen to a gorilla.”

From The Daily Beast

As The Guardian noted, Cameron Diaz was telling adorable anecdotes about forcibly grooming a hairy friend just under a year ago.

From The Daily Beast

The Express reports that Harry's cousin Zara has dubbed him "Prince Hairy" according to a royal insider quoted by the Express.

From The Daily Beast

This animal was something like a little boy, only, instead of clothes, he was covered with hairy fur.

From Project Gutenberg

The hairy animal, with the long tail, came straight for the bush behind which Squinty was hiding, and crawled through.

From Project Gutenberg

He had a loose hairy benignant face with a humorous but penetrating eye and the usual domelike brow.

From Project Gutenberg

They bore my friends away on their hairy-naked shoulders, and I stood too shocked to say a word.

From Project Gutenberg

Instead of pulling Mrs. Yoop's hair, he perched on her shoulder and smoothed her soft cheek with his hairy paw.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• furry
• fuzzy
• shaggy
• unshaven
• woolly