adjective
-
covered with hair
-
(of plants or their parts) covered with long but not stiff hairs
-
(of a person) having long, thick, or untrimmed hair
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hirsute
1615–25; < Latin hirsūtus rough, shaggy, bristly; akin to horrid
Explanation
What do Santa Claus, Bigfoot, and unicorns have in common? Aside from the fact that they’re completely real, they’re also hirsute: very, very hairy creatures. All mammals have hair, but the ones that have way more than others, you might call them hirsute. There are hirsute people, like lumberjacks with a jungle of chest hair, bearded ladies at a circus, or just someone with a scraggly hairdo. The word is pronounced "HER-suit," so if you see a woman wearing a furry jacket with matching pants, you could say, "Her suit is hirsute." Just make sure it’s actually a suit and not her real hair.
Vocabulary lists containing hirsute
Shear Genius: Hairy Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Words: September 8 - 14, 2018
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hirsute: I’ve received many responses from men who report that they’ve shaved off beards or mustaches, but the people around them can’t quite put their finger on what’s different.
From Washington Post • Feb. 24, 2023
Hirsute travellers Si King and Dave Myers embrace the varied realm of British fowl in the opener of a new series celebrating our best grub.
From The Guardian • Apr. 1, 2013
Hirsute young men and their long-haired girl friends, identically dressed in blue jeans and peacoats, stroll hand in hand across a snow-covered reach of lawn.
From Time Magazine Archive
Hirsute Hammer Thrower Yuri Sedyh brought the Soviet Union its first of two golds.
From Time Magazine Archive
Hirsute Triton and dishevelled Nereid there float in unabashed proximity; and, judging from the usual number of spectators, there is something remarkably attractive in the style of these aquatic exercises.
From Tales from "Blackwood," Volume 2 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
