woolly-headed

== English == === Alternative forms === cotton-headed wooly-headed, wool-headed woolly-pated, wool-pated === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /ˌwʊliˈhɛdɪd/, /ˈwʊliˌhɛdɪd/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌwʊliˈhɛdɪd/ === Adjective === woolly-headed (comparative more woolly-headed, superlative most woolly-headed) Synonym of nappy: having tightly curled and frizzy hair. 1708 Feb 25, The British Apollo: The Blacks in Guinea are Woolly-headed. (possibly offensive) Synonym of fuzzy-headed: characterized by vague or confused thinking, dull-witted. Synonym: woolly-pated ==== Usage notes ==== As an insult, although present use is generally understood as an allusion to having a head full of wool, the original racist supposed connection between hair similar to wool and intelligence can make this and similar terms offensive. ==== Synonyms ==== woolly-pated, wool-pated (vague or confused thinking): See Thesaurus:foolish & Thesaurus:stupid ==== Derived terms ==== woolly-headedness === References === “woolly-headed, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021. “woolly-headed”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.