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

Conservationists and citizen scientists have joined forces for a project to save London's "charming little" ice-age hairy snail.

Read more on BBC

In London, meanwhile, scientists are trying to save German hairy snails.

Read more on MarketWatch

The wolf placed its huge, hairy paws on Penelope’s shoulders.

Read more on Literature

“I thought I was going insane,” one woman posted on a Topanga Facebook group after catching sight of the hairy quartet in this bohemian enclave of actors, musicians and other artsy types.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The so-called Sasquatch—or “hairy man” in Halkomelem, a language of the First Nations tribes—allegedly stalks the Pacific Northwest, the wilds of the Sierra National Forest and the imaginations of Americans.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• furry 
• fuzzy 
• shaggy 
• unshaven 
• woolly