Definition

Adjective: 1. Covered with or resembling short, stiff, and rough projections: This describes a surface, particularly skin, that has many short, stiff hairs or points, like a beard that has not been shaved for a few days. 2. Having a rough, coarse texture: This can describe any surface that feels rough and uneven, similar to a field covered in short plant stalks after harvest.

Usage

The adjective "stubbly" is used to describe a texture, most commonly a man's unshaven face. It can also describe other rough surfaces. It typically comes before a noun or after a linking verb like "feel" or "look."

Examples

• Describing facial hair:
  • He kissed her with his stubbly chin.
  • After two days without shaving, his jaw was rough and stubbly.
• Describing other rough textures:
  • The stubbly field was difficult to walk across in bare feet.
  • The old carpet felt stubbly under her hands.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use: "Stubbly" can be used metaphorically to describe anything that seems harsh, unfinished, or lacking smoothness.
  • His stubbly prose lacked the polish of his later work.
• Comparative and Superlative Forms: "Stubblier" and "stubbliest" are sometimes used, though "more stubbly" and "most stubbly" are more common.

Variants and Related Words

• Stubble (noun): The short, stiff stalks of grain or other plants left in a field after harvesting; the short, stiff hairs growing on a man's face when he has not shaved for a while.
  • The wheat stubble scratched his legs.
  • He had a day's growth of stubble on his cheeks.
• Stubbled (adjective): An alternative, less common form meaning the same as "stubbly."
  • His stubbled face was familiar from old photographs.

Synonyms

• Bristly: Having short, stiff hairs.
• Unshaven: Not shaved; having short hair growing on the skin.
• Rough: Having an uneven or irregular surface.
• Coarse: Rough or loose in texture or grain.

Antonyms

• Smooth: Having an even and regular surface.
• Clean-shaven: Having had the hair on the face shaved off completely.
• Soft: Easy to mold, cut, compress, or fold; not rough or rigid.

Adjective

1. having a short growth of beard
   • his stubbled chin