fuzzy

American  

[fuhz-ee] / ˈfʌz i /

adjective

fuzzier, fuzziest

1. of the nature of or resembling fuzz.

   a soft, fuzzy material.

2. covered with fuzz.

   a plant with broad, fuzzy leaves.

3. indistinct; blurred.

   A fuzzy photograph usually means you jiggled the camera.

   Synonyms:

   foggy, unclear, vague, hazy

4. muddleheaded or incoherent.

   a fuzzy thinker; to become fuzzy after one drink.

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fuzzy British  

/ ˈfʌzɪ /

adjective

1. of, resembling, or covered with fuzz

2. indistinct; unclear or distorted

3. not clearly thought out or expressed

4. (of the hair) tightly curled or very wavy

5. maths of or relating to a form of set theory in which set membership depends on a likelihood function

   fuzzy set

   fuzzy logic

6. (of a computer program or system) designed to operate according to the principles of fuzzy logic, so as to be able to deal with data which is imprecise or has uncertain boundaries

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Other Word Forms

• fuzzily adverb
• fuzziness noun

Etymology

Origin of fuzzy

First recorded in 1590–1600; fuzz ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Her memory has the quality of “an old photograph, the edges fuzzy from frequent handling,” and she’s forced to wonder if “she’d made the whole thing up.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Seated backstage in a small dressing room, Tweedy grinned beneath a mop of fuzzy hair.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Rhodamnia zombi is described as a small to medium sized tree with large dark green leaves, shaggy bark, and fuzzy white flowers.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

Even if the administration’s explanation for war is fuzzy to the public, its economic cost is very clear.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

I had to break my eyes away from her fuzzy red-and-white-striped socks.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

Related Words

• blurred
• dim
• distorted
• faint
• foggy
• hazy
• misty
• murky
• obscure
• unclear
• vague