adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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rhymes with -æɡi
CMU ARPABET:SH AE1 G IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Having long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur or wool.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a shaggy dog
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Having a surface like shaggy hair; with a rough nap.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Confused, muddled.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
having a very rough nap or covered with hanging shags
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
junipers with shagged trunks
shaggy rugs
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: shagged
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
used of hair; thick and poorly groomed
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
bushy locks
a shaggy beard
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bushy, shaggy-haired, shaggy-coated
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Old English sċeacga Middle English *schagge English shag Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English shaggy From shag + -y.
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
kalesh
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Arabic:
أَشْعَث
(ʔašʕaṯ)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Bulgarian:
чорлав
(čorlav)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Bulgarian:
рунтав
(runtav)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Czech:
huňatý
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Czech:
chundelatý
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Czech:
střapatý
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Esperanto:
hirta
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Finnish:
takkuinen
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Finnish:
pörröinen
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
French:
hirsute
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Galician:
guedelludo
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
German:
zottelig
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
German:
zottig
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
German:
zottelhaarig
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
German:
struppig
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
German:
strubbelig
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
German:
zerzaust
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Ancient Greek:
δασύς
(dasús)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Ancient Greek:
λάσιος
(lásios)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Ancient Greek:
βλοσυρός
(blosurós)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Hungarian:
kócos
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Hungarian:
bozontos
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Irish:
mosach
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Irish:
suasánach
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Irish:
gliobach
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Italian:
ispido
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Italian:
irsuto
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Italian:
villoso
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Italian:
peloso
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Italian:
cappelluto
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Italian:
arruffato
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Italian:
scapigliato
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Italian:
spettinato
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Kazakh:
сабалақ
(sabalaq)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Kazakh:
барақ
(baraq)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Latin:
hispidus
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Latin:
villōsus
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Macedonian:
чо́рлав
(čórlav)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Macedonian:
ру́нтав
(rúntav)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Macedonian:
бу́шав
(búšav)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Māori:
tuahuru
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Māori:
pūhutihuti
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Plautdietsch:
scheibich
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Polish:
kudłaty
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Polish:
kosmaty
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Polish:
rozczochrany
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Polish:
potargany
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Portuguese:
felpudo
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Portuguese:
desgrenhado
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Russian:
косма́тый
(kosmátyj)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Russian:
мохна́тый
(moxnátyj)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Russian:
лохма́тый
(loxmátyj)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Russian:
патла́тый
(patlátyj)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Scottish Gaelic:
giobach
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Scottish Gaelic:
molach
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Serbo-Croatian:
рундав
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Serbo-Croatian:
rundav
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Spanish:
greñudo
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Spanish:
desgreñado
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Spanish:
despeinado
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Spanish:
desmelenado
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Spanish:
chascón
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Swedish:
raggig
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Swedish:
lurvig
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Swedish:
rufsig
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Ukrainian:
кудлатий
(kudlatyj)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Ukrainian:
кошлатий
(košlatyj)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Ukrainian:
волохатий
(voloxatyj)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Ukrainian:
патлатий
(patlatyj)
— with long, thick, and uncombed hair, fur, or wool
Bulgarian:
мъхнат
(mǎhnat)
— with a surface like shaggy hair; rough nap
Finnish:
karkea
— with a surface like shaggy hair; rough nap
Italian:
ruvido
— with a surface like shaggy hair; rough nap
Macedonian:
ро́шав
(róšav)
— with a surface like shaggy hair; rough nap
Scottish Gaelic:
giobach
— with a surface like shaggy hair; rough nap