hairy
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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]
Translations[edit]
of a person
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of an animal
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of a body part other than the head
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- 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
See also[edit]
Anagrams[edit]
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival)
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɛəɹi
- Rhymes:English/ɛəɹi/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- English informal terms
- en:Fear
- en:Hair