hairy
- 01 B1 Intermediate
having a lot of hair on the body.
covered with hair, especially in reference to human body hair.
Simple“He has very hairy arms and legs.”
In context“The actor had to shave his hairy chest for the role to better fit the character's sleek, athletic aesthetic.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
having a lot of fur, like an animal.
covered with thick fur or long hair; often used to describe animals or textiles.
Simple“The dog is big and hairy, but he is very friendly.”
In context“The caterpillar was covered in tiny, hairy bristles that served as a defense mechanism against local predators.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
dangerous, scary, or difficult to deal with.
frighteningly hazardous, precarious, or difficult; often used to describe a close call or a tense situation.
Simple“The drive through the mountains was a bit hairy because of the thick fog.”
In context“It got a bit hairy on the flight when the engine started making a strange noise during the storm.”
UsageOften used with 'bit' or 'moment' to describe a specific part of an experience.
Teacher's tipThis is a very common British and American idiom for 'scary' in a physical or high-stakes sense.
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.