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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 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 These vines will also happily wind their way around tree trunks and shrubs and fix themselves in place with small rootlets that take on a hairy appearance as poison ivy plants mature. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 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
  • Abrams’ shaggy appeal as the everyman hero who somehow manages to overcome every obstacle thrown in his way, including the most monstrous creatures Cregger and his talented creative team could devise, is a key factor in the film’s success.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Designed by Matthieu Blazy, the white column dress featured shaggy sections of black fabric and an asymmetrical, one-shoulder neckline.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaggy
Adjective
  • Even on a good day, Michigan is not a program that inspires many warm and fuzzy feelings among casual fans of college football.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Film Festival world premiere offering warm-but-never-fuzzy retro visions of stunts and cross-border tension that resonate in the present moment.
    — Jennie Punter, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of fuzzy
Adjective
  • The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers' strike and intense population movements.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • And widespread adoption by farmers is challenging because perennial crops don’t yield as much, harvesting can be difficult and the market still is developing.
    — Joshua A. Bickel, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • More than a month after Perez Hilton appeared in a disturbing livestream appearing to engage in acts of self-harm at this Miami-area home, his family is addressing the rumor mill.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
  • As tensions rise and boundaries begin to blur, their grandmother’s frail presence takes on an increasingly disturbing quality, turning a once-idyllic summer into a haunting passage into adulthood.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • The silky mattes go on without streaking (like some other inexpensive shadows might) along lashlines, over lids, and through creases for so many possible looks and so many color options (there are nine versions of the palette).
    — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Billboard also has an exclusive behind-the-scenes video of Jung Kook posing for the campaign, showing off his silky dance moves and applauding at the end of a successful shoot.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of silky
Adjective
  • In 2024, Swift joined the Bears as a free agent whose production didn’t match the contract in a rough year overall for the offense.
    — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • After a rough preseason that included missing a block that got Dart crushed and fumbling, Tracy could next lose his spot on the gameday active roster — if not his job entirely — with Najee Harris waiting to step in.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of rough
Adjective
  • The ability for any app or command to control an endpoint where sensitive user speech is processed is an entirely different matter.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Most pressure-sensitive adhesives are based on polymers, long chains of repeating molecular units that become entangled with one another.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • Sam Altman is leading OpenAI through perhaps the most consequential—and uneasy—moment in artificial intelligence yet.
    — Fortune Editors, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In a desperate race against time, Rosalind and Sean are forced into an uneasy alliance, fighting to save her husband and expose a global trafficking empire that eliminates anyone who tries to stop it.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Sep. 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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