curlier; curliest
1
: tending to curl
also : having curls
curly hair
2
: having the grain composed of fibers that undulate without crossing and that often form alternating light and dark lines
curly maple
curliness noun

Examples of curly in a Sentence

She has curly hair and blue eyes. The dog's tail is curly.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Andreeva’s curly blond hair was slicked back into a braid, and sweat dotted her teal outfit. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025 The collection featured a bald Vance, Vance with long curly hair, Vance as a child with a lollipop and Vance's face slimmed down to look more angular, a meme treatment commonly referred to as 'Yassification,' where a person is edited to look more attractive, or feminine. Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 Her curly brown hair was cut close to her head like a helmet. Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2025 Both the curly and straight hair FlexStyles include a concentrator, Auto-Wrap Curlers, and an Oval Brush head. Claire Sullivan, WWD, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for curly

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of curly was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Curly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curly. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

curly

adjective
curlier; curliest
: tending to curl
also : having curls
curly hair
curliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on curly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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