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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

Etymology

Origin of shaggy

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

Explanation

Shaggy things are messy, thick, and rough. Your long-haired mixed breed dog might be shaggy, while your sister's sleek Siamese cat isn't shaggy at all. Shaggy almost always describes an animal's fur or a person's unruly hair. A well-loved stuffed animal might be soft and shaggy, and your brother's curly hair is especially shaggy when he first rolls out of bed in the morning. On the cartoon "Scooby Doo," Scooby's best friend is a goofy, shaggy-haired guy named Shaggy. Shaggy followed the earlier adjective shagged, from the Old English sceacgede, or "hairy."

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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.

You mentioned longevity, and a quick IMDb search shows that Shaggy is your world!

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

"That song was by Shaggy," he declares, inaccurately.

From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025

The album also features a range of artists including former collaborator Peso Pluma, fellow parcero Manuel Turizo and the Jamaican legend himself, Shaggy.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

Shaggy crumbs are an ideal finishing textural touch on almost any tomato salad, and they add a nice dimension to pastas, as well.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 11, 2023

"I wish they were here now. A spell would heal my arm less painfully, and they could talk to Shaggy dog and tell him not to bite."

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

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.