husky

1 of 5

adjective (1)

hus·​ky ˈhə-skē How to pronounce husky (audio)
huskier; huskiest
Synonyms of husky
: hoarse with or as if with emotion
huskily
ˈhə-skə-lē How to pronounce husky (audio)
adverb
huskiness
ˈhə-skē-nəs How to pronounce husky (audio)
noun

husky

2 of 5

noun (1)

hus·​ky ˈhə-skē How to pronounce husky (audio)
plural huskies
1
: siberian husky
2
: a heavy-coated working dog of the New World arctic region

husky

3 of 5

adjective (2)

hus·​ky ˈhə-skē How to pronounce husky (audio)
huskier; huskiest
1
: burly, robust
2
: large

husky

4 of 5

noun (2)

hus·​ky ˈhə-skē How to pronounce husky (audio)
plural huskies
: one that is husky

husky

5 of 5

adjective (3)

ˈhə-skē How to pronounce husky (audio)
huskier; huskiest
: resembling, containing, or full of husks

Synonyms of husky

Relevance

Adjective (1)

Adjective (2)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of husky in a Sentence

Adjective (1) a voice that was husky from an afternoon of cheering on the team Adjective (2) a husky weight lifter the neighbors bought a fairly husky lawn mower for their small yard
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.
Adjective
Her husky voice made Pugh, as an up-and-comer, seem wise beyond her years in breakout roles as a Machiavellian teenage bride in Lady Macbeth and an actor turned spy in The Little Drummer Girl. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026 Tyler, after a brief recovery period, returned to the recording studio with a huskier, edgier voice. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Noun
And then, sure enough, Tall Paul was at his husky and mortifying business. — Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026 The dogs were huskies or malamutes because this research was part of a larger project looking at dogs and wolves. — Maggie Penman, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for husky

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

probably from husk huskiness, from obsolete husk to have a dry cough

Noun (1)

shortening of Huskemaw, Uskemaw Eskimo, from Cree aškime·w; akin to Montagnais (Algonquian language of eastern Canada) aiachkime8 Micmac, Eskimo — more at eskimo

Adjective (2)

probably from husk entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

circa 1722, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective (2)

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1864, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (3)

1552, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of husky was in 1552

Phrases Containing husky

Rhymes for husky

See All Rhymes for husky

Browse Nearby Words

husk-tomato
husky
huso
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Husky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/husky. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

husky

1 of 3 adjective
hus·​ky
ˈhəs-kē
huskier; huskiest
: hoarse sense 2
huskily
ˈhəs-kə-lē
adverb
huskiness
-kē-nəs
noun

husky

2 of 3 noun
hus·​ky
plural huskies
1
: a heavy-coated working dog especially of the New World arctic region
2
: siberian husky

husky

3 of 3 adjective
hus·​ky
huskier; huskiest
: burly, robust
Etymology

Adjective

probably derived from an obsolete sense of husk, meaning "to have a dry cough"

Noun

probably an altered form of Huskemaw, Uskemaw "Eskimo," from Cree aškime·w (same meaning)

Adjective

probably from husk "a hard outer covering"

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