adjective
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tending to curl; curling
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having curls
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(of timber) having irregular curves or waves in the grain
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difficult to counter or answer
a curly question
Other Word Forms
- curliness noun
Etymology
Origin of curly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mandy sits beside the cafe caravan with a coffee and is accompanied by her curly grey-haired canine friend, Walter.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
Joseph Jr. — a wiry 22-year-old with a head full of curly dark brown hair — runs briskly toward the goal line with a black cast on his left arm.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
A bespectacled researcher who often twirls his curly hair, Amodei authors lengthy documents philosophizing about the importance of AI safety and is known for his deliberate approach to problem solving.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026
Among the AI-generated images that have gone viral is one of a little girl with curly hair on a tricycle.
From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026
“Mallory goes to a special curly hair place,” Avery says.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.