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hairy

[ hair-ee ]
/ ˈhɛər i /
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See synonyms for: hairy / hairiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, hair·i·er, hair·i·est.
covered with hair; having much hair.
consisting of or resembling hair: moss of a hairy texture.
Informal.
  1. causing anxiety or fright: a hairy trip through the rapids.
  2. full of hardship or difficulty: a hairy exam; a hairy illness.
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Origin of hairy

First recorded in 1250–1300, hairy is from the Middle English word heeri.See hair, -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM hairy

hair·i·ness, nounun·hair·i·ness, nounun·hair·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hairy in a sentence

  • He looks like an intoxicated pterodactyl,” said Mr. Lonergan, who had some knowledge of prehistoric animals,—“only hairier.

  • Even the hands of the sprawled form seemed larger and hairier than the hands of her husband.

    The Calm Man|Frank Belknap Long
  • But it was larger and hairier than the glass one he had seen at the gift store.

    The Perfectionists|Arnold Castle

British Dictionary definitions for hairy

hairy
/ (ˈhɛərɪ) /

adjective hairier or hairiest
having or covered with hair
slang
  1. difficult or problematic
  2. scaring, dangerous, or exciting

Derived forms of hairy

hairiness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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