hairy

adjective

ˈher-ē How to pronounce hairy (audio)
Definition of hairynext
1
as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair a hairy spider

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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3
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling landing on that airstrip is always a hairy proposition

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in disturbing
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings the snowstorm made for a hairy commute back home that evening

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hairy 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 As Roy tries to make an Irish goodbye, Jamie affectionately razzes him for being hairy. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 The industry is obsessed with tracking who has the biggest model to solve the hairiest problems. — Don Schuerman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 The southern hairy-nosed wombat is the smallest of three species of wombats, all found in Australia, typically weighing between 45 and 65 pounds. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hairy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hairy
  1. shaggy
  2. fuzzy
  3. difficult
  4. disturbing
  5. silky
  6. rough
  7. sensitive
  8. uneasy
Adjective
  • The world could use more shaggy hangouts and layered mysteries, let alone series that manage to be both at the same time.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Using a wooden spoon or the stand mixer, mix until a shaggy dough forms.
    — Hali Bey Ramdene, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of shaggy
Adjective
  • In the rainforest there, a tiny chick the size of a fuzzy, white golf ball perches on a tree limb.
    — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The objects looked like fuzzy blobs like comets, but didn't move like a comet.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of fuzzy
Adjective
  • The problem, Snegovaya said, is that achieving military autonomy for Europe and Ukraine is extremely difficult in the short term, and Europe has been slow to develop the necessary capabilities.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Past changes have pushed the glacier into a retreat that may be difficult to reverse, while new modeling suggests scientists may have underestimated how warm seawater reaches beneath it.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Even when the metaphor is painfully on the nose, the film’s most disturbing images are more than their dramatic limitations and a whale is still an astonishing place to spend a movie.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • When her aunt Helena and paralyzed grandmother Regina arrive, the fragile boundaries between everyday life, ancestral superstition and Trina’s increasingly disturbing nightmares begin to collapse.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • How decadent to have a vermouth on the rocks and sweet treats — affogato, flan, a silky strawberry panna cotta — under the half moon slung low in the sky.
    — Amanda Lee Koe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The company says its paddings provide the same soft touch and luxurious look, lightweight and silky feel of down stuffing.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of silky
Adjective
  • The Dallas Cowboys are bringing former NFL coach Mike Pettine out of retirement to serve as a senior assistant to defensive coordinator Christian Parker, whose debut in his new position is off to a rough start.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Tampa Bay Rays are staring down a rough start to the American League Championship Series.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of rough
Adjective
  • Adolescence is an exquisitely sensitive time in the brain’s development.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The chipmaker’s relationships with customers are similarly interlaced and sensitive.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • An uneasy quiet took over the boat as customers waited for another catch.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Republican candidates are facing voters uneasy, even angry about high prices and an unpopular war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of uneasy

Browse Nearby Words

hair-trigger
hairy
hairy-chested
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Cite this Entry

“Hairy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hairy. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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