shaggy

adjective

shag·​gy ˈsha-gē 

shaggier; shaggiest

1

a

: covered with or consisting of long, coarse, or matted hair

b

: covered with or consisting of thick, tangled, or unkempt vegetation

c

: having a rough nap, texture, or surface

d

: having hairlike processes

2

a

: unkempt

b

: confused or unclear in conception or thinking

shaggy ideas

a shaggy argument

shaggily

ˈsha-gə-lē 

adverb

shagginess

ˈsha-gē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• bristly
• brushy
• cottony
• fleecy
• furred
• furry
• hairy
• hirsute
• rough
• silky
• unshorn
• woolly
• wooly

Examples of shaggy in a Sentence

a big, shaggy dog kept trying to lick my face

a shaggy carpet that was a relic of the 1970s

Recent Examples on the Web

Head out onto the water to sail around the archipelago, keeping your eyes peeled for breaching minke whales and bearded seals, as well as shaggy muskoxen—one of the few megafauna to survive the Ice Age—and Arctic wolves patrolling the shoreline. —Chloe Berge, Outside Online, 17 June 2025

For the occasion, Taylor-Johnson kept his curls shaggy. —Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 16 June 2025

But Pavement tweak it into a gorgeously shaggy guitar ramble. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2025

The goldendoodle named Bruno is crossbreed of a golden retriever and a poodle, and is known to have unique fur—loose curls and sometimes shaggy. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing shaggy

• shaggy-dog
• shaggy-dog story

Rhymes for shaggy

• aggie
• baggy
• craggy
• flaggy
• scraggy

Kids Definition

shaggy

adjective

shag·​gy ˈshag-ē 

shaggier; shaggiest

1

: covered with or made up of long, coarse, or tangled growth

2

: having a rough or hairy surface

shaggily

ˈshag-ə-lē 

adverb

shagginess

ˈshag-ē-nəs 

noun