hair gel

noun

plural hair gels
: a gelatinous preparation used in styling hair
… a tall, thin man named Artie, who manages, with enough hair gel, to slick back a crewcut.Eric Konigsberg
Her hair is back, not the locks I loved so much, but a shorter, goofier version that grows unevenly and will only stay in place with hair gel.Heather Wright and Mark W. Wright

Examples of hair gel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
If gifting clothing feels too much for a new relationship, Crown Affair’s editor-favorite hair gel is a happy compromise. Irene Richardson, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026 Historically, plant mucilage was used as a natural hair gel, and as an adhesive for paper stamps and labels. Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026 The last product and step of the process is Define, a hair gel that Lam notes is chock-full of moisturizing and hydrating agents like olive oil, coconut oil, and glycerin. Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 15 Dec. 2025 However, only Hudson’s roots were greased; her ends were glossy and straight without the appearance of hair gel. Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Dec. 2025 To take out the guesswork, Glamour editors and contributors tested a range of popular hair gels on different curl types to find the ones that truly deliver. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2025 Buffy’s key wardrobe pieces are a strappy tank and tight pants with a wood stake in hand, and all that’s required for Angel is a leather jacket and a hell of a lot of hair gel. Emma Specter, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2025 The irony is hard to miss: the very aesthetic that built Claire’s, the chokers, butterfly clips, glitter hair gel, and jelly handbags all everywhere again. Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hair gel was in 1960

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Cite this Entry

“Hair gel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair%20gel. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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