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

Explanation

Fuzzy things are soft, downy, or furry. Few people can resist the charms of a tiny, fuzzy kitten. Your dad's bearded face is fuzzy, and your favorite mohair sweater is also fuzzy. You can also use this adjective to mean "blurry" or "clouded," the way a badly lit scene in a movie might look fuzzy, with vague shapes moving in the dark. The inside of your head can feel fuzzy too, when you're groggy or dizzy: "I remember getting hit in the head by the soccer ball, but after that everything's fuzzy."

Related Words

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