Hairy Meaning
/ˈhɛə.ɹi/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjHaving a lot of body hair.
adjHaving a lot of fur.
Sentence Examples
You don't have to go getting so hairy about such a small thing.
I'm scared of big, black, hairy tarantulas!
Dan used to be so scared of big hairy spiders.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ dog needed a bath because it was covered in dirt.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The explorers encountered a large, ____ spider in the middle of the jungle that looked quite frightening.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Some surfers prefer the hairy thrill of a big wave."
— 1966, Bruce Brown, director, The Endless Summer:
"A couple people see her, watch her slide on by, don't get all hairy about it."
— 1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 243:
"Had the cutest elderly man come for a hairy today, told me he had to put his glasses on for the photos bc thy made him look better"
— 2018 May 15, Madison Hair (@madisonhair__), “Madison Hair on Instagram”, in Instagram:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ dog needed a bath because it was covered in dirt.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The explorers encountered a large, ____ spider in the middle of the jungle that looked quite frightening.