hairy

hairy — adjective

1. describes a person or animal that has thick hair growing on the body, especially

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a person or animal that has thick hair growing on the body, especially where people typically have little or no hair

Example

Stefan rolled up his sleeves to reveal a pair of very hairy arms.

collocation: hairy arms / hairy legs / hairy chest

The stray cat was so hairy that its eyes were nearly hidden beneath its fur.

Common collocations
  • hairy arms
  • hairy legs
  • hairy chest
  • hairy back
  • hairy face
  • hairy skin
  • get hairy
  • look hairy
Synonyms
  • furry

    used for animals with soft, thick fur; rarely for humans, and then usually playfully

  • hirsute

    formal or medical term for body hair; very uncommon in everyday speech

  • stubbly

    describes short, rough facial hair (a day or two without shaving), not the same as thick body hair

Antonyms
  • hairless

    having no body hair at all, often by shaving or genetics

  • bald

    specifically for a scalp with no hair; not used for the rest of the body

Grammar Patterns

hairy + noun (hairy legs, hairy chest)

be/look/get + hairy

Usage Note

Unlike hirsute (a formal, clinical word for the same idea), hairy is everyday English and can sound slightly negative or teasing depending on tone. Frequently used with body parts that are normally visible: arms, legs, chest, back.

Common Mistakes

My head feels very hairy after swimming.
My hair feels very wet after swimming.
Hairy describes skin/fur, not hair on the scalp. Use 'hair' as a noun for what grows on your head.

2. used in informal conversation to describe a risky or scary experience that also

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

used in informal conversation to describe a risky or scary experience that also feels exciting or thrilling, like a narrow escape

Example

The plane landing grew hairy when the wind shifted at the last second.

pattern: a bit / a little / pretty / grow + hairy (intensifiers with gradable adjective)

Kabir described the hairy moment his car skidded on the icy bridge.

collocation: hairy moment / hairy situation

Common collocations
  • hairy moment
  • hairy situation
  • hairy ride
  • hairy flight
  • hairy experience
  • get hairy
  • a bit hairy
  • pretty hairy
Synonyms
  • scary

    more general; can describe any fear, not just exciting risk

  • nerve-racking

    focuses on the anxiety rather than the excitement

  • white-knuckle

    used almost exclusively for rides, flights, or drives that are thrillingly dangerous

  • dicey

    British informal; similar meaning but emphasises uncertainty rather than thrill

Antonyms
  • safe

    the opposite of risky; without danger

  • smooth

    used for a journey or process without problems or scares

Grammar Patterns

hairy + noun (hairy moment, hairy situation)

get + hairy

Usage Note

Only used for situations that are scary-but-exciting, like driving fast, risky sports, or near-accidents. NOT used for slow dangers (illness, financial trouble) or abstract threats — saying 'the meeting got hairy' suggests a confrontation that was tense and unpredictable, not merely difficult.

Common Mistakes

The exam was very hairy — I studied all night.
The exam was very tough
I studied all night.' — Hairy does not mean 'difficult' in the sense of mentally challenging; it means physically or emotionally dangerous/thrilling.

Word family

  • hair
    nounA1
  • hairless
    adjectiveB2
  • hairiness
    nounC1
  • hairily
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Hairy, furry, hirsute, and stubbly all describe hair on the body, but their contexts differ sharply. Hairy is the everyday, neutral-to-slightly-negative word for thick body hair on humans or animals: 'a hairy chest' or 'a hairy caterpillar.' Furry applies almost exclusively to animals (rabbits, puppies) with soft, dense coats; calling a person 'furry' is playful or teasing. Hirsute is a formal, clinical term used in medical writing or humorously ('the hirsute gentleman'); it is rare in conversation. Stubbly is specifically about short, rough regrowth after shaving — a 'stubbly chin' after skipping a shave — and does not describe long or thick hair. If you want a plain word for body hair, choose hairy. If the animal has soft fur, choose furry. If you need to sound technical, choose hirsute. If you mean a day's beard growth, choose stubbly.

hairy ↗furryhirsutestubbly

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • get hairy
  • a hairy moment
  • a bit hairy

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Hairy comes from the Old English word hǣr (hair) plus the suffix -ig, which turns a noun into an adjective meaning 'having the quality of.' So hairy literally means 'having hair.' The slang sense, 'frightening or risky,' appeared in American English around the mid-20th century, possibly from the idea that a frightening experience could make your hair stand on end, or from military slang describing a mission that was so dangerous it made soldiers' hair bristle.