Synonyms of hairy

hairy

adjective

ˈher-ē 

1

as in shaggy

covered with or as if with hair

a hairy spider

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shaggy
• silky
• hirsute
• furred
• woolly
• bristly
• furry
• fluffy
• brushy
• unshorn
• bearded
• cottony
• rough
• fuzzy
• fleecy
• whiskered
• bewhiskered
• stubbly
• mustachioed
• stubbled
• downy
• nappy
• linty

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bald
• hairless
• smooth
• glabrous
• shorn
• shaved
• shaven
• furless
• beardless

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

• shaggy
• fuzzy
• rough
• woolly
• fluffy
• furry
• downy
• puffy
• nappy
• hairlike

3

as in difficult

requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling

landing on that airstrip is always a hairy proposition

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• sensitive
• tough
• sticky
• problematic
• complicated
• spiny
• knotty
• thorny
• delicate
• ticklish
• nasty
• touchy
• prickly
• tricky
• hard
• tricksy
• complex
• serious
• problem
• painful
• dodgy
• catchy
• intricate
• abstract
• troublesome
• stubborn
• scabrous
• recondite
• abstruse
• involved
• vexing
• troublous
• vexatious
• worrisome
• oppressive
• inconvenient
• burdensome
• stressful
• importunate
• demanding
• onerous
• exhausting
• exacting
• discommoding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• manageable
• simple
• easy
• painless
• uncomplicated
• straightforward
• effortless
• unproblematic
• undemanding

4

as in disturbing

marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings

the snowstorm made for a hairy commute back home that evening

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disturbing
• uneasy
• nervous
• tense
• restless
• unsettling
• anxious
• creepy
• distressing
• distressful
• unnerving
• disquieting
• fraught
• agitating
• worrisome
• embarrassing
• troublesome
• nail-biting
• awkward
• nerve-racking
• strained
• bothersome
• discouraging
• foreboding
• disheartening
• restive
• unrestful
• misgiving

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• comfortable
• quiet
• easy
• peaceful
• tranquil
• calming
• restful
• quieting
• pacific

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hairy

Hirta is Latin for hairy, and the plant’s stems do feel rough to the touch. — Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026

For millions of years, Pacific mastodons — huge, hairy relatives of modern elephants — roamed a vast and lush range that included California, Oregon, the northern Rocky Mountains and parts of Mexico. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

If 97 and 29 do share the ice, the second-line centre appears to be Nugent-Hopkins, which could become hairy in a hurry. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

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