adj

woolly

WUU-lee

Woolly (adj) means Made of wool, or having a soft, thick texture like wool. Example: “He wore a woolly hat to keep his ears warm.”

adj

Made of wool, or having a soft, thick texture like wool.

"He wore a woolly hat to keep his ears warm."

Vague, unclear, or poorly thought out.

"Her argument was interesting but a bit woolly around the details."

How to use woolly

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither literally covered in or made of wool, or figuratively fuzzy and imprecise in thinking or expression.

UK vs US

This spelling is standard in British English; American English sometimes uses "wooly."

Common pairings

a woolly jumper woolly thinking woolly logic

Word forms

woollier comparative, woollies plural, woollies plural, woolliest superlative

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He wore a _____ hat to keep his ears warm.

Etymology

From "wool" plus "-y," describing something with a wool-like texture.

Rhymes for woolly

Olly jolly lolly dolly folly molly holly golly Polly Bolly rolly Tolly

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Frequently asked questions

What does “woolly” mean?

The word “woolly” means made of wool, or having a soft, thick texture like wool. In plain terms, either literally covered in or made of wool, or figuratively fuzzy and imprecise in thinking or expression.

How do you pronounce “woolly”?

“Woolly” is pronounced WUU-lee (/ˈwʊli/ in IPA).

How do you use “woolly” in a sentence?

Here is “woolly” used in a sentence: “He wore a woolly hat to keep his ears warm.”

What part of speech is “woolly”?

“Woolly” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “woolly” have?

“Woolly” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: made of wool, or having a soft, thick texture like wool.