ENGLISH
REFERENCE

woolly

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈwʊɫi// UK //wˈʊli// wool·ly Archaic Informal Slang Vulgar

adj. made of wool or looking like wool. It also describes ideas or thinking that are not clear or organized.

adj. consisting of or resembling wool; figuratively describes ideas, arguments, or thinking lacking in clarity or precision.


SIMPLE

She wore a thick, woolly jumper to stay warm.

CONTEXTUAL

The politician's speech was full of woolly promises that lacked any specific details about the budget.

COMPLEX

While the initial proposal had merit, the subsequent implementation plan was criticized for being too woolly to provide actionable guidance for the engineering team.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English wolly, equivalent to wool + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian wullich (“woolly”), Dutch wollig (“woolly”), German wollig (“woolly”), Swedish ullig (“woolly”).

Etymology 2

From woolly back.

Usage

Often used figuratively to criticize a lack of intellectual rigour.

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