NYT Dictionary

HAIRY

/ˈhɛɹ.i/
AdjectiveNounHAIR-yhair-y · 2 syllablesGrade 9

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2020

Meaning

Having a lot of body hair.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

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.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

hirsutefurryhairfullong-hairedfluffyvilloushairlikehair-raisinghairedabstruse

Antonyms

baldhairless

NYT Puzzle Appearances

No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020.

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