curly UK /ˈkɜːli/US /ˈkɝli/adjective 3noun 1forms 3 adjective3 •Having curls. •Curling in a direction, as opposed to straight (quotation marks or apostrophes) •(Australia) Complicated and difficult; knotty.Often, the job will throw you a curly problem that will cause the unprepared to fail, so it is best to prepare an investigative plan before starting work. — 2005 noun1 •a person or animal with curly hair. formscurlies · curlier · curliest