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definitions

hoary

[ hawr-ee, hohr-ee ]
/ ˈhɔr i, ˈhoʊr i /
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adjective, hoar·i·er, hoar·i·est.

gray or white with age: an old dog with a hoary muzzle.
ancient or venerable: hoary myths.
tedious from familiarity; stale: Please don't tell that hoary joke at dinner again tonight.

RELATED WORDS

antiquated, timeworn, age-old, aged, antique, elderly, old, old-fashioned, older, out-of-date, relic, rusty, venerable, oldie, frosty, graying, silvery, white-haired, whitish

Nearby words

  1. hoarfrost,
  2. hoarhound,
  3. hoarse,
  4. hoarsely,
  5. hoarsen,
  6. hoary cress,
  7. hoary marmot,
  8. hoary-headed,
  9. hoast,
  10. hoatching

Origin of hoary

First recorded in 1520–30; hoar + -y1
SYNONYMS FOR hoary
1. grizzled, grizzly; hoar. 2. old, dated, aged; venerated, revered.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hoary ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formshoar·i·ly, adverbhoar·i·ness, nounun·hoar·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hoary

British Dictionary definitions for hoary

hoary

/ (ˈhɔːrɪ) /

adjective hoarier or hoariest

having grey or white hair
white or whitish-grey in colour
ancient or venerable
Derived Formshoarily, adverbhoariness, 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
Word Origin and History for hoary

hoary

adj.

1510s, "gray or white with age" (of hair); c.1600 as "venerable, ancient;" from hoar + -y (2). Related: Hoariness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper