Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

hairy

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of hairy

1 covered with or as if with hair

  • a hairy spider
Synonyms of hairy

bristly, brushy, cottony, fleecy, furred, furry, hirsute, rough, shaggy, silky, unshorn, woolly (also wooly)
Words Related to hairy

bearded, bewhiskered, mustachioed (also moustachioed), whiskered

stubbled, stubbly

downy, fluffy, fuzzy, linty, nappy
Near Antonyms of hairy

beardless, shaved, shaven
Antonyms of hairy

bald, furless, glabrous, hairless, shorn, smooth

2 made of or resembling hair

  • found enough hairy clumps around the house to make another cat
  • a hairy mass of fiberglass insulation
Synonyms of hairy

furry, fuzzy, rough, shaggy, woolly (also wooly)
Words Related to hairy

downy, fluffy, nappy, puffy

hairlike

3 requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling

  • landing on that airstrip is always a hairy proposition
Synonyms of hairy

catchy, delicate, difficult, dodgy [chiefly British], knotty, nasty, prickly, problematic (also problematical), sensitive, spiny, sticky, thorny, ticklish, touchy, tough, tricksy, tricky
Words Related to hairy

abstract, abstruse, complex, complicated, hard, intricate, involved, recondite, serious

problem, scabrous, stubborn, troublesome, troublous, vexatious, vexing, worrisome

burdensome, demanding, discommoding, exacting, exhausting, importunate, inconvenient, onerous, oppressive, painful, stressful
Near Antonyms of hairy

easy, effortless, manageable, painless, simple, straightforward, uncomplicated, undemanding, unproblematic

4 marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings

  • the snowstorm made for a hairy commute back home that evening
Synonyms of hairy

agitating, anxious, creepy, disquieting, distressful, distressing, disturbing, fraught, nail-biting, nerve-racking (or nerve-wracking), nervous, restless, tense, uneasy, unnerving, unsettling, worrisome
Words Related to hairy

bothersome, troublesome

foreboding, misgiving

discouraging, disheartening, strained

restive, restless, unrestful

awkward, embarrassing
Near Antonyms of hairy

restful

pacific
Antonyms of hairy

calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting, tranquil

Learn More about hairy

  1. See words that rhyme with hairy Dictionary: Definition of hairy Medical Dictionary: Definition of hairy Spanish Central: Translation of hairy Nglish: Translation of hairy for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up hairy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games