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Synonyms

shaggy

American  
[shag-ee] / ˈʃæg i /

adjective

shaggier, shaggiest

  1. covered with or having long, rough hair.

  2. untidy; unkempt.

    a shaggy person.

  3. rough and matted; forming a bushy mass, as the hair or mane.

  4. having a rough nap, as cloth.

  5. characterized by sloppy planning or execution.

    a shaggy production of Macbeth.
shaggy British  
/ ˈʃæɡɪ /

adjective

  1. having or covered with rough unkempt fur, hair, wool, etc

    a shaggy dog

  2. rough or unkempt

  3. (in textiles) having a nap of long rough strands

"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

Other Word Forms

  • shaggily adverb
  • shagginess noun

Etymology

Origin of shaggy

First recorded in 1580–90; shag 1 + -y 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Giant anteaters have black and white diagonal stripes, dense shaggy hair and super-sized snouts.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Rhodamnia zombi is described as a small to medium sized tree with large dark green leaves, shaggy bark, and fuzzy white flowers.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

Meanwhile, seven menacing figures in shaggy bleached-blond wigs are on the loose, looking like the world’s most dangerous bubblegum pop band.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

Her spring trip goes heavy on wild greens, with a good dose of truffle hunting, while the fall is a bonanza of shaggy parasol mushrooms and mountain villages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

She’s a good foot shorter than he is, but has his same shaggy hair.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.