wooly
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Covered with dense, often matted or curly hair or fibers: Describes something, typically an animal or material, that has a thick, soft, and often tangled covering resembling wool.
- Confused, vague, or unclear: Used to describe thinking, ideas, or arguments that are not logical, precise, or well-defined.
- Having a fluffy, soft, or indistinct appearance: Describes something that looks soft, fuzzy, or not sharply defined.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Covered with fibers):
- The wooly mammoth was adapted to cold climates.
- She wore a warm, wooly sweater.
- Adjective (Confused thinking):
- His argument was dismissed as wooly and unscientific.
- The report's conclusions were wooly and lacked concrete data.
- Adjective (Fluffy appearance):
- The clouds had a soft, wooly texture against the blue sky.
- The paintbrush left wooly edges on the canvas.
Advanced Usage
- "Wooly-headed": An intensified form meaning confused, scatterbrained, or having vague ideas.
- He was dismissed as a wooly-headed idealist with no practical plan.
- Used figuratively to describe concepts or language that is imprecise.
- The politician's wooly promises failed to convince the voters.
Variants and Related Words
- Woolly: The more common spelling, especially in British English. Both "wooly" and "woolly" are correct.
- Wooliness (noun): The state or quality of being wooly, either literally or figuratively (e.g., vagueness).
- Wool (noun): The soft hair forming the coat of a sheep, from which the adjective is derived.
Synonyms
- Furry: Covered with fur.
- Hairy: Having a lot of hair.
- Fuzzy: Having a frizzy, fluffy, or blurred texture or outline.
- Vague: Of uncertain or indefinite character or meaning.
- Muddled: Confused in thought.
- Unclear: Not easy to see, hear, or understand.
Antonyms
- Hairless: Without hair.
- Smooth: Having an even and regular surface.
- Clear: Easy to perceive, understand, or interpret.
- Precise: Marked by exactness and accuracy of expression or detail.
- Logical: Characterized by clear, sound reasoning.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Woolly thinking: A common phrase used to criticize ideas that are not clear or logical.
- The committee's proposal was rejected due to its woolly thinking.
- Wool-gathering: Daydreaming or indulging in idle fancies (historically related to the act of collecting loose wool). While not directly using "wooly," it shares the root and connotes a lack of focus.
- Stop your wool-gathering and pay attention!
Adjective
- covered with dense often matted or curly hairs
- woolly lambs
- confused and vague; used especially of thinking
- muddleheaded ideas
- your addled little brain
- woolly thinking
- woolly-headed ideas
- having a fluffy character or appearance