English

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Etymology

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From earlier hawsey (1625), a nautical term of uncertain origin. Possibly from Middle English *hasi, *haswy, from Old English haswiġ (grey; ashen; dusky), from Old English hasu (dusky; grey; ashen), from Proto-Germanic *haswaz (grey), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱeh₂s- (bright grey). By surface analysis, haze +‎ -y; although Modern English haze is more likely a back-formation of hazy.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈheɪzi/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪzi

Adjective

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hazy (comparative hazier, superlative haziest)

  1. Thick or obscured with haze.
    a hazy view of the polluted city street
  2. Not clear or transparent.
    • 1939, American Review of Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Diseases, page 138:
      Furthermore, kymographic pictures are hazy and sometimes distorted, while the pictures obtained by diagraphy are sharp and unobstructed.
  3. Obscure; confused; not clear.
    a hazy argument
    a hazy intellect
    • 1986 October 5, Phillip Lopate, “SEXUAL POLITICS, FAMILY SECRETS”, in The New York Times[1]:
      If Philip seems less well drawn, "the character who is closest to the author is probably the haziest because the author is not able to see himself with the same clarity."
    • 2016 January 21, David Rees, “Letter of Recommendation: Sleep, ‘Dopesmoker’”, in The New York Times Magazine[2]:
      The song’s first line is ‘‘Drop out of life with bong in hand,’’ and things only get hazier from there. ‘‘Dopesmoker’’ tells the story of a caravan of ‘‘weed-priests’’ traveling across the ‘‘sand-sea’’ in search of the ‘‘riff-filled land’’ so as to fulfill their ‘‘desert legion smoke-covenant.’’

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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hazy (plural hazies)

  1. A variety of beer (typically a pale ale, India pale ale, or double India pale ale) golden in color with softer mouthfeel, and sweeter taste than its non-hazy counterpart.
    What hazies do you have on tap?
    • 2020 June 24, Molly Allen, “Hazy Beer 101: What Goes into That Instagrammable Pint”, in Sip Magazine[3], archived from the original on May 6, 2021:
      It's the craft beer style that has taken the brewing world, and the Internet, by storm. But what exactly is a hazy?
    • 2024, Liz Cook, “Why I Do Not Care What Beer Geeks Think About Hazy IPAs”, in Kansas City Magazine[4], archived from the original on June 19, 2024:
      Hazies are a softer, slinkier IPA that swap the pinecone sharpness of a West Coast IPA for bright citrus. I've heard some drinkers complain that they taste like orange juice—the cloudy appearance means hazies often look like orange juice, too.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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