curlier; curliest
1
: tending to curl
also : having curls
curly hair
2
: having the grain composed of fibers that undulate without crossing and that often form alternating light and dark lines
curly maple
curliness noun

Examples of curly in a Sentence

She has curly hair and blue eyes. The dog's tail is curly.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Ashley's hair is much curlier and much darker, but Mary-Kate's is a little bit more coarse. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025 If the hair taken from the donor area is curly, the same curly structure continues in the recipient area. Wyles Daniel, jsonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025 The two most common parsley varieties are flat leaf or Italian, growing up to three feet tall, and curly leaf, which reaches about one foot in height. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025 That said, a few best practices for styling curly hair are helpful across the board. Grace McCarty, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for curly

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of curly was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Curly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curly. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

curly

adjective
curlier; curliest
: tending to curl
also : having curls
curly hair
curliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on curly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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