hairy

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word hairy. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word hairy, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say hairy in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word hairy you have here. The definition of the word hairy will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofhairy, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Etymology

From Middle English hery, heeri, hary, equivalent to hair +‎ -y. Compare Saterland Frisian hierich (“hairy”), West Frisian hierrich (“hairy”), Dutch harig (“hairy”), German Low German harig (“hairy”), German haarig (“hairy”), Swedish hårig (“hairy”), Icelandic hárugur (“hairy”). Compare also Old English hǣriht (“hairy”) and ġehǣre (“hairy”).

The sense "terrifying, scary" possibly results from a blend of hair-raising and scary.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhɛə.ɹi/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɛɚ.i/
    • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛəɹi

Adjective

hairy (comparative hairier, superlative hairiest)

  1. (of a person) Having a lot of hair on the body.
    a hairy man
  2. (of an animal) Having a lot of fur.
    hairy mammoth
  3. (of a body part other than the head) Having hair growing from it.
    She is a great admirer of hairy chests.
  4. (informal) Difficult, complex, intricate, or intimidating.
    It’s a hairy problem, and will probably take several weeks to sort out.
  5. (informal) Causing anxiety or fright; terrifying, scary.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

of a body part other than the head
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also

Anagrams

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia