hairy
English edit
Etymology edit
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 edit
Adjective edit
hairy (comparative hairier, superlative hairiest)
- (of a person) Having a lot of hair on the body.
- a hairy man
- (of an animal) Having a lot of fur.
- hairy mammoth
- (of a body part other than the head) Having hair growing from it.
- She is a great admirer of hairy chests.
- (informal) Difficult, complex, intricate, or intimidating.
- It’s a hairy problem, and will probably take several weeks to sort out.
- (informal) Causing anxiety or fright; terrifying, scary.
Synonyms edit
Antonyms edit
Derived terms edit
- Andean hairy armadillo
- big, fat, hairy deal
- big hairy armadillo
- big hairy deal
- black hairy tongue syndrome
- hairily
- hairiness
- hairy armadillo
- hairy balls
- hairy ball theorem
- hairy canary
- hairy cell
- hairy click beetle
- hairy Darling pea
- hairy-eared dwarf lemur
- hairy eyeball
- hairy frog
- hairy hedgehog
- hairy leukoplakia
- hairy molly
- hairy nightshade
- hairy panic
- hairy-soled conyrat
- hairy spider orchid
- hairy-tailed mole
- hairy willowherb
- hairy woodpecker
- northern hairy-nosed wombat
- screaming hairy armadillo
- Shanghai hairy crab
- southern hairy-nosed wombat
- Venus's hairstone
Translations edit
of a person
|
of an animal
|
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.
Translations to be checked