curly

American  

[kur-lee] / ˈkɜr li /

adjective

curlier, curliest

1. curling curling or tending to curl.

   curly blond hair.

2. having curls (usually used in combination).

   curlyheaded.

3. having a rippled or undulating appearance, as cut and finished wood.

   curly maple.

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curly British  

/ ˈkɜːlɪ /

adjective

1. tending to curl; curling

2. having curls

3. (of timber) having irregular curves or waves in the grain

4. difficult to counter or answer

   a curly question

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Other Word Forms

• curliness noun

Etymology

Origin of curly

First recorded in 1720–30; curl + -y ¹

Example Sentences

That girl was still going round from chair to chair selling beadwork, her hair curly, messy, grunge, but her face all smiles.

From Literature

But then her little-girl curls flattened out while mine got curlier, and her features sharpened, turning her face beautiful instead of just cute.

From Literature

Joseph Jr. — a wiry 22-year-old with a head full of curly dark brown hair — runs briskly toward the goal line with a black cast on his left arm.

From Los Angeles Times

A quick flash of the little beggar, Cat Neely, her curly hair covering most of her face.

From Literature

A bespectacled researcher who often twirls his curly hair, Amodei authors lengthy documents philosophizing about the importance of AI safety and is known for his deliberate approach to problem solving.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• coiled
• curled
• fuzzy
• kinky
• wavy