Word forms: plural woolliesregional note: in AM, also use wooly
1. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Something that is woolly is made of wool or looks like wool.
She wore this woolly hat with pompoms.
Synonyms: woollen, fleecy, made of wool More Synonyms of woolly
2. countable noun
A woolly is a woollen piece of clothing, especially a sweater.
[British, informal]
3. plural noun
You can refer to underwear as woollies, especially when it is knitted from wool, and has long legs or long sleeves.
[US]
4. adjective
If you describe a person or their ideas as woolly, you are criticizing them for being confused or vague.
[disapproval]
...a weak and woolly Government.
It is no good setting vague and woolly goals.
Synonyms: vague, confused, clouded, blurred More Synonyms of woolly
More Synonyms of woolly
woolly in British English
or sometimes US wooly (ˈwʊlɪ)
adjectiveWord forms: woollier, woolliestWord forms: sometimes USwoolier or wooliest
1.
consisting of, resembling, or having the nature of wool
2.
covered or clothed in wool or something resembling it
3.
lacking clarity or substance
woolly thinking
4. botany
covered with long soft whitish hairs
woolly stems
5. US
recalling the rough and lawless period of the early West of America (esp in the phrase wild and woolly)
nounWord forms: pluralwoollies or sometimes US woolies
6. (often plural)
a garment, such as a sweater, made of wool or something similar
7. Western US and Australian(usually plural) an informal word for sheep
Derived forms
woollily (ˈwoollily) or sometimes US woolily (ˈwoolily)
adverb
woolliness (ˈwoolliness) or sometimes US wooliness (ˈwooliness)
noun
woolly in American English
(ˈwʊli)
adjectiveWord forms: ˈwoollier or ˈwoolliest
1.
of or like wool
2.
bearing wool
3.
covered with wool or something resembling wool in texture
4. US
having characteristics of the early frontier life of the western U.S.; rough and uncivilized
used chiefly in wild and woolly
5.
tangled and confused; fuzzy
woolly ideas
nounWord forms: pluralˈwoollies US
6. West
a sheep
7.
a.
a woolen garment, esp. one with a fleecelike surface
b. [pl.]
long underwear made of wool
Derived forms
woolliness (ˈwoolliness)
noun
Examples of 'woolly' in a sentence
woolly
Now we learn that wearing woolly jumpers is a crime against sheep.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The most exclusive hanko of all is made of woolly mammoth fossil.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Remember that woolly jumper in The Killing?
The Sun (2016)
So she decided to trek for help, wearing a parka coat, a woolly hat and hiking boots.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I've already got some wellies, plus five woolly hats and upwards of a dozen pairs of hiking socks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You strip down to your shorts and don woolly garments to protect your extremities.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Wear woolly socks and put on a jersey.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Work with woolly tights and clogs for summer style now.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
None has yet dared to give him a woolly hat as a present.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It was like they had woolly jumpers on under their football shirts.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Wear some woolly tights with your sandals.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
At night it became so cold that some of the men would sleep in woolly hats.
Oliver Poole BLACK KNIGHTS: On the Bloody Road to Baghdad (2003)
At least for now we can push aside thoughts of central heating and woolly jumpers.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The thick woolly tights make me think student.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
All it lacks is a woolly jumper.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It would not be an exact replica but it would look and feel much like a woolly mammoth did.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Lace is terrifically useful on days when all you feel like wearing is cosy knitwear and thick woolly tights.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Its leaves are soft and woolly.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Look out for woolly mammoth hair.
The Sun (2014)
They then trekked across the bridge to wild and woolly Kentucky.
Frederic Alan Maxwell BAD BOY BALLMER (2002)
At night in bed it's the birthday suit and designer cashmere woolly socks.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Family life is wild and woolly, wacky and wonderful.
Christianity Today (2000)
We're too soft and woolly to make an interesting target.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Exports of woolly mammoth tusks from Russia are booming.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
And they built the family food supply by downing wild, woolly beasts.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The days of itchy woolly blankets are long gone, so here we look at the prettiest picnic essentials available.
The Sun (2010)
When bar staff told him to remove his woolly hat, he politely explained why he would not be comfortable without it.
The Sun (2010)
THE woolly mammoth was driven to extinction by warmer weather, new research suggests.
The Sun (2013)
The only things she took with her were a gold bangle and a soft, pink woolly hat with a bow that she loved and wore constantly.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We pretty much loathed them for most of the year because it really wasn't cool turning up at school wearing grandma's woolly socks.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
woolly
British English: woolly ADJECTIVE
Something that is woolly is made of wool or looks like wool.
She wore this woolly hat with pompoms.
American English: woolly
Brazilian Portuguese: de lã
Chinese: 羊毛的
European Spanish: de lana
French: de laineN
German: Woll-
Italian: di lana
Japanese: ウールの
Korean: 양털의
European Portuguese: de lã
Latin American Spanish: de lana
All related terms of 'woolly'
woolly bear
the caterpillar of any of various tiger moths , esp Arctia caja of Europe and Isia isabella of North America , having a dense covering of soft hairs
woolly aphid
any of various aphids that secrete a hairlike covering of wax
woolly-headed
confused, unclear , impractical , etc. in thought
woolly indris
a related nocturnal Madagascan animal, Avahi laniger, with thick grey-brown fur and a long tail
woolly-minded
showing a vague or muddled way of thinking
woolly monkey
either of two large New World monkeys Lagothrix lagotricha , with black skin and dark, woolly fur , and L . flavicauda , similar but with a buffy face patch and a yellow-banded tail , native to forests of the Amazon and Orinoco basins : L. lagotricha is a vulnerable species and L. flavicauda critically endangered
woolly pully
a woollen pullover , typically ribbed and with shoulder and elbow patches , as worn by military personnel
woolly mammoth
a large extinct elephant
woolly thistle
a tall perennial plant; Cirsium eriophorum
woolly rhinoceros
an extinct rhinoceros ; Coelodonta antiquitatis
wild and woolly
rough ; untamed ; barbarous
woolly spider monkey
a rare related monkey , Brachyteles arachnoides, of SE Brazil
Chinese translation of 'woolly'
woolly
or (US) wooly
(ˈwulɪ)
adj
[socks, hat etc]羊毛的 (yángmáo de)
(= confused)[ideas, person]糊涂(塗)的 (hútu de)
1 (adjective)
Definition
made of or like wool
She wore a woolly hat with pompoms.
Synonyms
woollen
fleecy
fleecy walking jackets
made of wool
2 (adjective)
Definition
confused or indistinct
It is no good setting vague, woolly goals – we need a specific aim.
Synonyms
vague
His description of the events was very vague.
confused
clouded
blurred
blurred black and white photographs
unclear
muddled
the muddled thinking of the Government's transport policy
fuzzy
a couple of fuzzy pictures
indefinite
a person of indefinite age
hazy
I have only a hazy memory of what he was like.
foggy
My foggy brain sifted through the possibilities.
nebulous
the nebulous concept of `spirit'
ill-defined
staff with ill-defined responsibilities
indistinct
The lettering is fuzzy and indistinct.
Opposites
clear
,
obvious
,
sharp
,
exact
,
precise
,
distinct
,
definite
,
clear-cut
,
well-defined
3 (adjective)
Definition
made of or like wool
The plant has silvery, woolly leaves.
Synonyms
downy
the warm downy quilt
hairy
They saw a massive, hairy animal at the window.
shaggy
He has long, shaggy hair.
a shaggy dog
flocculent
(noun)
Definition
a woollen garment, such as a sweater
Bring a woolly – it can get cold here at night.
Synonyms
sweater
jersey
grey jersey and trousers
jumper
You can't go wrong with a baggy jumper.
pullover
Additional synonyms
in the sense of blurred
blurred black and white photographs
Synonyms
indistinct,
faint,
vague,
unclear,
dim,
fuzzy,
misty,
hazy,
foggy,
blurry,
out of focus,
ill-defined,
lacking definition
in the sense of fleecy
Definition
of or resembling fleece
fleecy walking jackets
Synonyms
woolly,
soft,
fluffy,
shaggy,
downy
in the sense of foggy
My foggy brain sifted through the possibilities.
Synonyms
unclear,
confused,
clouded,
stupid,
obscure,
vague,
dim (informal),
bewildered,
muddled,
dazed,
cloudy,
stupefied,
indistinct,
befuddled,
dark
Nearby words of
woolly
woodwork
wool
woolgathering
woolly
woozy
word
word for word or word-for-word
Synonyms of 'woolly'
woolly
Explore 'woolly' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of fuzzy
Definition
unclear, blurred, or distorted
a couple of fuzzy pictures
Synonyms
indistinct,
faint,
blurred,
vague,
distorted,
unclear,
shadowy,
bleary,
unfocused,
out of focus,
ill-defined
in the sense of hairy
Definition
covered with hair
They saw a massive, hairy animal at the window.
Synonyms
shaggy,
woolly,
furry,
stubbly,
bushy,
bearded,
unshaven,
hirsute (formal),
fleecy,
bewhiskered,
pileous,
pilose
in the sense of hazy
Definition
dim or vague
I have only a hazy memory of what he was like.
Synonyms
vague,
uncertain,
unclear,
muddled,
fuzzy,
indefinite,
loose,
muzzy,
nebulous,
ill-defined,
indistinct
in the sense of ill-defined
staff with ill-defined responsibilities
Synonyms
unclear,
vague,
indistinct,
blurred,
dim,
fuzzy,
shadowy,
woolly,
nebulous
in the sense of indefinite
Definition
vague or unclear
a person of indefinite age
Synonyms
unclear,
unknown,
uncertain,
obscure,
doubtful,
ambiguous,
indeterminate,
imprecise,
undefined,
ill-defined,
indistinct,
undetermined,
inexact,
unfixed
in the sense of indistinct
Definition
unable to be seen or heard clearly
The lettering is fuzzy and indistinct.
Synonyms
unclear,
confused,
obscure,
faint,
blurred,
vague,
doubtful,
ambiguous,
fuzzy,
shadowy,
indefinite,
misty,
hazy,
unintelligible,
indistinguishable,
indeterminate,
bleary,
undefined,
out of focus,
ill-defined,
indiscernible
in the sense of jersey
Definition
a knitted garment covering the upper part of the body
grey jersey and trousers
Synonyms
jumper,
sweater,
woolly,
pullover
in the sense of jumper
Definition
a knitted garment covering the upper part of the body
You can't go wrong with a baggy jumper.
Synonyms
sweater,
top,
jersey,
cardigan,
woolly,
pullover
in the sense of muddled
the muddled thinking of the Government's transport policy