curly

B2 · Upper Intermediate Computing

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.

“The word processor automatically changed my straight quotes into curly ones.”

“The graphic designer insisted on using curly quotes to give the typography a more professional and polished appearance.”

C1 · Advanced Dialect · American English · British English

adj. tricky or complicated to solve.

adj. describing a problem or situation that is particularly knotty, complicated, or difficult to resolve.

“That was a curly question that the teacher asked us during the exam.”

“The negotiator faced a curly situation when both parties refused to compromise on the initial terms of the contract.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal · Humorous

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.

Español:rizado

“Everyone in the village calls him Curly because of his thick ringlets.”

“In a classic display of dry humor, the group nicknamed their bald friend Curly.”