hairy

[hair-ee]

adjective

hairier, hairiest 

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

Other Word Forms

• hairiness noun
• unhairiness noun
• unhairy 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

I always think if my intentions are pure, nothing’s gonna get hairy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Caddisflies, of which there are about 200 species in the UK, look similar to moths and have hairy wings.

Read more on BBC

It is smaller than your fingernail, but this hairy beetle is one of the biggest single threats to the UK's forests.

Read more on BBC

One site PC Counsell takes us to, a series of standing stones, is through dense woodland, up a steep mountain track - even in a 4x4 with a trained police driver it's a hairy climb.

Read more on BBC

Criticism has flooded in, including that engineering mammoth-like creatures is a big stretch from making mice hairier, as well as being unethical, and that the whole project is a publicity stunt.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• furry 
• fuzzy 
• shaggy 
• unshaven 
• woolly