curly
- 01 A2 Elementary
adj.having a curved or spiral shape rather than being straight.
adj.having curls or a spiral form; typically used to describe hair, fur, or fibers.
Simple“She has beautiful curly hair that is difficult to brush in the morning.”
In context“The breed is known for its thick, curly coat which provides excellent insulation against the cold mountain air.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describes punctuation marks that curve, like 'smart' quotes.
adj.referring to curved versions of punctuation marks, specifically quotation marks and apostrophes, as opposed to straight ones.
Simple“The word processor automatically changed my straight quotes into curly ones.”
In context“The graphic designer insisted on using curly quotes to give the typography a more professional and polished appearance.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
adj.tricky or complicated to solve.
adj.describing a problem or situation that is particularly knotty, complicated, or difficult to resolve.
Simple“That was a curly question that the teacher asked us during the exam.”
In context“The negotiator faced a curly situation when both parties refused to compromise on the initial terms of the contract.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'a curly one' to refer to a difficult question.
Teacher's tipThis sense is more common in Australian and British English than in American English.
Antonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a name for someone with curly hair, or sometimes a joke name for a bald person.
n.a nickname for a person with curly hair; occasionally used ironically or humorously to refer to a bald individual.
Simple“Everyone in the village calls him Curly because of his thick ringlets.”
In context“In a classic display of dry humor, the group nicknamed their bald friend Curly.”
From curl + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.