1
as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair
a hairy spider
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
landing on that airstrip is always a hairy proposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in disturbing
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the snowstorm made for a hairy commute back home that evening
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hairy
The woolly devil was spotted by a volunteer for Big Bend National Park in Texas, when on a spring hike, Deb Manly stumbled across a small hairy-looking flower with two maroon florets sticking out like devil’s horns.
—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
In the coming years, Garcia and Weir, initially a boyish figure next to his older and usually hairier bandmates, would become the faces of the Dead and its increasingly large cultural footprint.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Things became so hairy that Ghost City Tours, which hosted events featuring Annabelle, released a statement confirming that Annabelle had nothing to do with the fire.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 27 Dec. 2025
In October, for his first collection as the designer of Jean Paul Gaultier, Duran Lantink put models in hairy trompe-l’œil-style catsuits, while Kim Kardashian — who last year first teased us with a Skims faux fur bikini — fully committed with a range of merkins in various shades and hair types.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hairy
Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
In the coming years, Garcia and Weir, initially a boyish figure next to his older and usually hairier bandmates, would become the faces of the Dead and its increasingly large cultural footprint.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Things became so hairy that Ghost City Tours, which hosted events featuring Annabelle, released a statement confirming that Annabelle had nothing to do with the fire.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 27 Dec. 2025
In October, for his first collection as the designer of Jean Paul Gaultier, Duran Lantink put models in hairy trompe-l’œil-style catsuits, while Kim Kardashian — who last year first teased us with a Skims faux fur bikini — fully committed with a range of merkins in various shades and hair types.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hairy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hairy
Adjective
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No one understands or exploits that shaggy zone quite like Bannon.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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Instead of head-to-toe fur, designers and showgoers alike favored coats finished with shearling collars or shaggy trim, details that feel easier, lighter, and more wearable.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As the song unfolds, their voices begin to braid together like twin strands of ivy—a Scottish lilt and a Montana twang—creeping across a hard stone wall of fuzzy grunge guitars.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
4 Feb. 2026
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Bieber's outfit consisted of straight-leg jeans, a white top, and a cropped leather jacket featuring shoulder pads and fuzzy trim.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Training and case management through FRAP is supposed to help attorneys deal with what Clegg calls a difficult area of law.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
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Will this race and the other changes create an opportunity for NASCAR to turn the page on its difficult 2025?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Keira, a junior, said current events have been disturbing.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
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Protesters gathered outside of an Inglewood daycare facility on Friday to express their outrage over a disturbing video that shows a teacher throwing her shoe at a 5-year-old student with autism in January.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After baking, the cheesecake is coated with a silky layer of dark chocolate ganache.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
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Most sateen sheets are made of cotton, but for those who seek an extra-silky-smooth feel, look no further than Ettitude sheets in organic bamboo lyocell.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For much of 2025, their doldrums felt much worse than the typical rough patch that parties endure after bad election defeats.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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Unfortunately, peel-and-stick tiles will not hold up well on rough walls and floors or uneven surfaces.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The new revelations include documents suggesting Mandelson shared sensitive government information with Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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The new revelations include documents suggesting Mandelson shared sensitive government information with Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Stage’s version translates the already uneasy feelings of hearing acid house reduced to happy-go-lucky plastic into something out of an actual acid trip.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
7 Feb. 2026
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Bashar is on the left, his body slightly angled away, his face uneasy.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hairy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hairy. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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