shaggy

adjective

shag·​gy ˈsha-gē How to pronounce shaggy (audio)
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
b
: confused or unclear in conception or thinking
shaggy ideas
a shaggy argument
shaggily adverb
shagginess noun

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 Ultimately, the researchers want to edit elephant DNA to incorporate traits that allowed mammoths to survive the cold, like shaggy hair, curved tusks and fat deposits. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Lake Pleasant Regional Park The rolling hills above Lake Pleasant are often shaggy with bouquets of brittlebush. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024 At a Los Angeles event honoring Latino creatives, the star topped off her one-shoulder dress with a shaggy wig. Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 8 Jan. 2024 The 7,000-square-foot home’s focal point is, instead, inside: a large rectangular courtyard bursting with palms and giant elephant ear plants and bordered by a colonnade shaggy with wisteria. Alice Newell-Hanson Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Quartz’s Michelle Cheng takes a look at the dilution of the term and the rise of the super-unicorn, which for every decade has reared its magical, shaggy head from one specific tech field. Susan Howson, Quartz, 18 Feb. 2024 Fry, meanwhile, offers contrastingly shaggy warmth, though the obvious put-on of his ripe Polish accent makes his casting more a distraction than a coup in a story so pointedly about heritage and personal truth. Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024 Find it on Amazon This Cozy Throw Is So Soft to the Touch Stay cozy with this impressive shaggy faux fur throw. Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2024 Ceballos, her shaggy blonde-streaked hair a hint at her rock-star potential, arrived and handed out the .75-pound Ribstix. By Chloe Herring, Brooke Henderson and Samantha J. Gross, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shaggy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of shaggy was in 1581

Dictionary Entries Near shaggy

Cite this Entry

“Shaggy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shaggy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shaggy

adjective
shag·​gy ˈshag-ē How to pronounce shaggy (audio)
shaggier; shaggiest
1
: covered with or made up of long, coarse, or tangled growth
2
: having a rough or hairy surface
shaggily adverb
shagginess noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shaggy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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