hairy

adjective

ˈher-ē How to pronounce hairy (audio)
Definition of hairynext
1
as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair a hairy spider

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fuzzy
made of or resembling hair found enough hairy clumps around the house to make another cat a hairy mass of fiberglass insulation

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling landing on that airstrip is always a hairy proposition

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in disturbing
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings the snowstorm made for a hairy commute back home that evening

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hairy Chickweed, henbit, hairy bittercress, dead nettle and shepherd’s purse all germinate in late summer and early autumn. — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026 As Roy tries to make an Irish goodbye, Jamie affectionately razzes him for being hairy. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 The industry is obsessed with tracking who has the biggest model to solve the hairiest problems. — Don Schuerman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 The southern hairy-nosed wombat is the smallest of three species of wombats, all found in Australia, typically weighing between 45 and 65 pounds. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hairy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hairy
  1. shaggy
  2. fuzzy
  3. difficult
  4. disturbing
  5. silky
  6. rough
  7. sensitive
  8. uneasy
Adjective
  • Crafted by celebrity hair artist Coree Moreno, her dark brown ends appeared like a messier version of the flapper pixie — shaggy and teased all over.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • He was done with being shaggy — this would be an album of precision.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaggy
Adjective
  • In the rainforest there, a tiny chick the size of a fuzzy, white golf ball perches on a tree limb.
    — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The objects looked like fuzzy blobs like comets, but didn't move like a comet.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of fuzzy
Adjective
  • Performances across the board are strong, even if the characterizations themselves are more difficult to embrace.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Making short-haul rail more competitive Parallel argues that its system could open routes that are currently difficult for conventional rail services to serve economically, particularly journeys under 500 miles.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Even when the metaphor is painfully on the nose, the film’s most disturbing images are more than their dramatic limitations and a whale is still an astonishing place to spend a movie.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • When her aunt Helena and paralyzed grandmother Regina arrive, the fragile boundaries between everyday life, ancestral superstition and Trina’s increasingly disturbing nightmares begin to collapse.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • The Little City Farm founder turned that harvest into silky, sweet-tart passion fruit curd — and a new way to keep the fruit’s flavor alive after the vine was gone.
    — Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The formula packs 31 bond-building proteins and amino acids sourced from milk, wheat, corn, and soy to help smooth frizz, reduce breakage, and leave hair noticeably silkier after just a few uses.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of silky
Adjective
  • The Dallas Cowboys are bringing former NFL coach Mike Pettine out of retirement to serve as a senior assistant to defensive coordinator Christian Parker, whose debut in his new position is off to a rough start.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Tampa Bay Rays are staring down a rough start to the American League Championship Series.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of rough
Adjective
  • Another network had received the notification by late Saturday, according to a person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details.
    — Miriam Waldvogel, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Pictet seemed sensitive to the moral risk of going into Syria for the wrong reasons.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • An uneasy quiet took over the boat as customers waited for another catch.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Republican candidates are facing voters uneasy, even angry about high prices and an unpopular war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of uneasy

Browse Nearby Words

hair-trigger
hairy
hairy-chested
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Cite this Entry

“Hairy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hairy. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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