shrubby

adjective

shrub·​by ˈshrə-bē 

especially Southern ˈsrə-

shrubbier; shrubbiest

1

: consisting of or covered with shrubs

2

: resembling a shrub

Examples of shrubby in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 2017 Open Championship, which Spieth won despite — perhaps because of — a 22-minute ordeal of confusion, patience and a whole lot of running up and down a steep hill of thick, shrubby dune grass. — Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Indeed, another chromosomal recombination process that preserves blocks of genes can be found in California’s dry, shrubby chaparral mountains, where the walking stick insect Cristina’s timema (Timema cristinae) is made for camouflage. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 21 May 2026

Some shrubby types of honeysuckle produce flowers on stems that grow during the current season (aka the new wood). — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026

Sea mists turn the mountain’s shrubby flank brilliant green during summer but monsoon currents make swimming dangerous. — Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shrubby

• chubby
• cubby
• grubby
• hubby
• scrubby
• stubby
• tubby

Kids Definition

shrubby

adjective

shrub·​by ˈshrəb-ē 

shrubbier; shrubbiest

1

: consisting of or covered with shrubs

a shrubby hillside

2

: resembling a shrub

a shrubby palm