English Reference
Adjective

shaggy

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈʃæɡi/ UK /ʃˈæɡi/ shag·gy

adj.having long, thick, and messy hair or fur. It describes something that looks a bit wild and unbrushed.

adj.covered with or consisting of long, thick, and unkempt hair, fur, or wool. Often used to describe animals or textiles with a coarse, uneven texture.


SIMPLE

The shaggy dog needs a haircut.

CONTEXTUAL

After weeks in the wilderness, the hiker returned with a shaggy beard and tangled hair.

COMPLEX

The living room was decorated in a retro style, featuring a bright orange shaggy rug that felt soft but looked intentionally messy.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'look' or 'become'.


Etymology tree Old English sċeacga Middle English *schagge English shag Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English shaggy From shag + -y.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated