Meanings
hairy1
comparative hairier · superlative hairiest
- Having a lot of fur.
hairy mammoth
1 more example
Near-synonyms: long-haired, furry, fluffy
Synonyms: long-haired, furry, fluffy
- Seeming as if hair-covered or as if consisting of hair.
hairy moss
2 more examples
Near-synonym: hairlike
hairy cell leukemia
Synonyms: hairlike
- informalDifficult, complex, intricate, or intimidating.
It’s a hairy problem, and will probably take several weeks to sort out.
- informalCausing anxiety or fright; terrifying, scary.
Some surfers prefer the hairy thrill of a big wave.
1966, Bruce Brown, director, The Endless Summer1 more example
A couple people see her, watch her slide on by, don't get all hairy about it.
1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 243Synonyms: hair-raising
hairy2
plural hairies
- AustraliarareslangA haircut (the act of cutting of hair).
Had the cutest elderly man come for a hairy today, told me he had to put his glasses on for the photos bc thy ^([sic]) made him look better
2018 May 15, Madison Hair (@madisonhair__), “Madison Hair on Instagram”, in Instagram
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveHaving a lot of fur.
adjectiveSeeming as if hair-covered or as if consisting of hair.
adjectiveCausing anxiety or fright; terrifying, scary.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivehaving or covered with hair
adjectivehazardous and frightening
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
hairy · adjective
- Middle Englishhery
- Englishhairy
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.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek δασύς, πολύτριχος
- δασύς (dasús)of a person
- πολύτριχος (polútrikhos)of a person
- βλοσυρός (blosurós)of a person
- δασύς (dasús)of an animal
- πολύτριχος (polútrikhos)of an animal
Arabic مُشَعَّر, مَشْعَر
- مُشَعَّر (mušaʕʕar)of a body part other than the head
- مَشْعَر (mašʕar)of a person
Bulgarian окосмен, космат
- окосмен (okosmen)of a body part other than the head
- космат (kosmat)of a person
- космат (kosmat)of an animal
Catalan cabellut, pelut
- cabellutof a body part other than the head
- pelutof a person
- pilósof a person
Chinese Mandarin 毛茸茸的, 多毛的
- 毛茸茸的 (máoróngrōng de)of a person
- 多毛的 (duōmáo de)of a person
- 長毛的 /长毛的 (zhǎngmáo de)of a person
Danish håret, behåret
- håretof a body part other than the head
- behåretof a body part other than the head
- håretof a person
- behåretof a person
- loddenof an animal
Dutch harig, behaard
- harigof a body part other than the head
- behaardof a body part other than the head
- harigof a person
- behaardof a person
- harigof an animal
Esperanto vila
- vilaof an animal
Estonian karvane, karvane
- karvaneof a body part other than the head
- karvaneof a person
- karvaneof an animal
Finnish karvainen, karvainen
- karvainenof a body part other than the head
- karvainenof a person
- karvainenof an animal
French poilu, poilu
- poiluof a body part other than the head
- poiluof a person
German behaart, haarig
- behaartof a body part other than the head
- haarigof a body part other than the head
- behaartof a person
- haarigof a person
- pelzartigof an animal
Greek τριχωτός
- τριχωτός (trichotós)of a person
Hebrew שעיר, שעיר
- שעירof a body part other than the head
- שעירof a person
Hungarian szőrös, szőrös
- szőrösof a body part other than the head
- szőrösof a person
- szőrösof an animal
Italian peloso, peloso
- pelosoof a body part other than the head
- pelosoof a person
Japanese 毛深い, 毛むくじゃらの
- 毛深い (kebukai)of a person
- 毛むくじゃらの (kemukujara no)of a person
Latin pilosus, pilōsus
- pilosusof a body part other than the head
- pilōsusof a person
- villōsusof a person
- pilōsusof an animal
- hispidusof an animal
Latvian spalvains, matains
- spalvainsof a body part other than the head
- matainsof a body part other than the head
- matainsof a person
- spalvainsof a person
- spalvainsof an animal
Māori pūhuruhuru, tuahuru
- pūhuruhuruof a person
- tuahuruof a person
Norwegian Bokmål behåret, behåra
- behåretof a body part other than the head
- behåraof a body part other than the head
- håretof a body part other than the head
- håreteof a body part other than the head
- behåretof a person
- behåraof a person
- håretof a person
- håreteof a person
Persian پرمو
- پرمو (pormu)of a person
Polish zarośnięty, owłosiony
- zarośniętyof a body part other than the head
- owłosionyof a body part other than the head
- ryzykownydifficult, complex, intricate, or intimidating
- trudnydifficult, complex, intricate, or intimidating
- włochatyof a person
- owłosionyof a person
- włochatyof an animal
Portuguese peludo, peludo
- peludoof a body part other than the head
- peludoof a person
- peludoof an animal
Romanian păros
- părosof a person
Russian волоса́тый, волоса́тый
- волоса́тый (volosátyj)of a body part other than the head
- волоса́тый (volosátyj)of a person
- мохна́тый (moxnátyj)of an animal
Scottish Gaelic molach, molach
- molachof a person
- molachof an animal
Slovak chlpatý, vlasatý
- chlpatýof a body part other than the head
- vlasatýof a person
- chlpatýof an animal
Spanish peludo, velludo
- peludoof a body part other than the head
- velludoof a body part other than the head
- pelosoof a body part other than the head
- vellosoof a body part other than the head
- vellidoof a body part other than the head
- peludodifficult, complex, intricate, or intimidating
- peliagudodifficult, complex, intricate, or intimidating
- pelúdifficult, complex, intricate, or intimidating
- peludoof a person
- velludoof a person
- pelosoof a person
- vellosoof a person
Swedish hårig, hårig
- hårigof a body part other than the head
- hårigof a person
- hårigof an animal
Tagalog mabuhok, mabalahibo
- mabuhokof a person
- mabalahiboof an animal
Turkish kıllı, kıllı
- kıllıof a body part other than the head
- kıllıof a person
- kürklüof an animal
- postluof an animal
Ukrainian волоха́тий, волоса́тий
- волоха́тий (voloxátyj)of a person
- волоса́тий (volosátyj)of a person
Welsh blewog
- blewogof a person
Yiddish האָריק
- האָריק (horik)of a person
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with hairy
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
hairy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hairy
“hairy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hairy. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hairy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hairy.
Source: hairy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.