hairy

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Covered with a lot of hair.

   He has hairy arms.

2. 2
   adj

   Frightening and dangerous (informal).

   The drive down the icy mountain road got pretty hairy.

3. 3
   adj

   Difficult or complicated to deal with (informal).

   It's a hairy problem that will take weeks to solve.

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.

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