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Meaning & use

hairless

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈheələs/
US/ˈherləs/

Meanings

  1. adjectivenot comparable

    Having no hair on the body or on a particular part of it.

    Grammar: Usually used without a comparative: a hairless baby bird, not a more hairless one.

    Patterns

    • hairless skin
    • a hairless animal

    The newborn mice were pink and hairless.

    He shaved his arms until they were completely hairless.

    Sphynx cats look strange because they are almost hairless.

  2. adjectivenot comparabletechnical

    Smooth and bare, without the fuzz, bristles or hairlike covering that is usual for something.

    Grammar: Used for plants and objects: a hairless leaf.

    Patterns

    • a hairless leaf

    The leaves are hairless on top and fuzzy underneath.

    A hairless peach is a nectarine.

    Botanists describe the stem as hairless and smooth.

Common combinations

completely hairless
The puppies were completely hairless at birth.
hairless skin
The cat's hairless skin needs sunscreen.
hairless breed
The Mexican hairless dog is a very old hairless breed.
hairless chest
He has a smooth, hairless chest.
born hairless
The baby birds are born hairless and blind.

Synonyms and how they differ

bald
This usually describes a head that has lost or lacks hair, whereas hairless can describe any body part or animal.
smooth
This describes a surface with no roughness, and does not specifically say hair is missing like hairless does.
bare
This means uncovered in general, whereas hairless is specifically about the lack of hair.
shaven
This says hair has been cut off on purpose, whereas hairless can be natural.

Opposites

hairyfurrybushy

Word family

hair noun
the fine threads growing on skin
hairy adjective
covered with a lot of hair
hairlessness noun
the state of having no hair
hairline noun
the edge of hair on the forehead

Commonly confused: hairless or bald? hairless or hareless?

hairless vs bald

Bald usually refers to a head with little or no hair, often from age or baldness, while hairless can describe animals and any body part.

hairless vs hareless

This is not a standard word; hairless is the correct spelling.

Practice

The kittens were born ___, with only soft pink skin and no fur at all.

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