hirsute

American  

[hur-soot, hur-soot] / ˈhɜr sut, hɜrˈsut /

adjective

1. hairy; shaggy.

   Synonyms:

   furry, woolly, bushy, bearded, unshaved, pilose

2. Botany, Zoology. covered with long, rather stiff hairs.

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of hair.

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hirsute British  

/ ˈhɜːsjuːt /

adjective

1. covered with hair

2. (of plants or their parts) covered with long but not stiff hairs

3. (of a person) having long, thick, or untrimmed hair

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Other Word Forms

• hirsuteness noun
• subhirsute adjective
• subhirsuteness noun

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.

Example Sentences

The hirsute libertarian, using leverage from his midterm elections triumph in October, just massaged labor reform legislation through Congress, delivering one of the Big Three structural reforms on markets’ wish list.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Fans of the hirsute sourpuss seek him out for his in-your-face edge — the opposite of Santa’s remote joviality.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

Spokesman and prominent letter writer Keith Flett says the group is "continuing to review Prince William's latest beard and assessing if it is contributing to a positive image of the hirsute in the public eye".

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2024

Other scientific studies have attributed the impact of bison activity to reducing plant diversity, damaging endemic plants and tree species like oak trees, and spreading non-native plant seeds through their hirsute coats and droppings.

From National Geographic • Jan. 18, 2024

Before them marched the clansmen from the hills; chiefs and champions astride shaggy garrons, their hirsute fighters trotting beside them, clad in fins and boiled leather and old mail.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin