hairy

American  

[hair-ee] / ˈhɛər i /

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.

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hairy British  

/ ˈhɛərɪ /

adjective

1. having or covered with hair

2. slang

   1. difficult or problematic

   2. scaring, dangerous, or exciting

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Other Word Forms

• hairiness noun
• unhairiness noun
• unhairy adjective

Etymology

Origin of hairy

First recorded in 1250–1300, hairy is from the Middle English word heeri. See hair, -y ¹

Example Sentences

Mason says she has a "particularly hairy part" of her wrist where she applies her testosterone gel on a daily basis, but that the benefits she gets from the hormone are worth it.

From BBC

The United Strand: One fan’s hairy battle for a ManU win.

From MarketWatch

She yelped as black liquid oozed from the open wound and a hairy white spider crept out and skittered away.

From Literature

Turns out that “hairy leg” is real — at least the story behind it is.

From Los Angeles Times

Several ads trafficked in revulsion as an attention-getter, none more so than this one for a body shaver featuring various clumps of removed body hair singing with their little hairy mouths.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• furry
• fuzzy
• shaggy
• unshaven
• woolly