Meaning & use
Jheri curl
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A glossy, loosely curled hairstyle made with a chemical treatment and kept soft with moisturizing products, especially popular in the 1980s.
Grammar: Usually countable with an or the: he had a Jheri curl. It can also name the style in general.
Patterns
- have a Jheri curl
- get a Jheri curl
My uncle still has photos from 1985 in which he proudly wears a Jheri curl.
The salon offered a Jheri curl, but the treatment took hours and needed constant upkeep.
Pop stars of that era made the Jheri curl a fashion statement.
Word forms
| plural | Jheri curls |
|---|
Common combinations
- get a Jheri curl
- He saved his pay to get a Jheri curl before the school dance.
- sport a Jheri curl
- The actor sported a Jheri curl throughout the film.
- Jheri curl juice
- Old couches were said to be ruined by Jheri curl juice, the oily moisturizer used to keep the curls wet.
- 1980s Jheri curl
- A 1980s Jheri curl is a classic costume choice for retro parties.
Synonyms and how they differ
- perm
- A perm is the general word for any chemically curled hair, while a Jheri curl is one particular loose, wet-look version.
- curly perm
- A curly perm describes tight or bouncy curls of any kind, but it does not suggest the glossy, shiny look of a Jheri curl.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: Jheri curl or perm?
Jheri curl vs perm
Perm is the broad term for permanent waving; a Jheri curl is a specific style, so not every perm is a Jheri curl.
Practice
Complete the sentence: In the 1980s, many people paid for a ____ to get glossy, soft curls.
Choose one answer.
A Jheri curl is the chemically treated, shiny curled style of the 1980s. A crew cut and a buzz cut are short cuts, and a ponytail is a way of tying hair, not a curl treatment.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Jheri curl”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.