Etymology From earlier hawsey (1625), a nautical term of uncertain origin. Possibly from Middle English *hasi, *haswy, from Old English haswiġ (“grey; ashen; dusky”), from Old English hasu (“dusky; grey; ashen”), from Proto-Germanic *haswaz (“grey”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱeh₂s- (“bright grey”). By surface analysis, haze + -y; although Modern English haze is more likely a back-formation of hazy.
1
Thick or obscured with haze.
a hazy view of the polluted city street
2
Not clear or transparent.
Furthermore, kymographic pictures are hazy and sometimes distorted, while the pictures obtained by diagraphy are sharp and unobstructed.1939, American Review of Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Diseases, page 138:
3
Obscure; confused; not clear.
a hazy argument
a hazy intellect
2 more examples
If Philip seems less well drawn, "the character who is closest to the author is probably the haziest because the author is not able to see himself with the same clarity."1986 October 5, Phillip Lopate, “SEXUAL POLITICS, FAMILY SECRETS”, in The New York Times:
The song’s first line is ‘‘Drop out of life with bong in hand,’’ and things only get hazier from there. ‘‘Dopesmoker’’ tells the story of a caravan of ‘‘weed-priests’’ traveling across the ‘‘sand-sea’’ in search of the ‘‘riff-filled land’’ so as to fulfill their ‘‘desert legion smoke-covenant.’’2016 January 21, David Rees, “Letter of Recommendation: Sleep, ‘Dopesmoker’”, in The New York Times Magazine:
4
Of knowledge or a memory Faded.
It's a little hazy, but... I remember... C&A.2026 March 20, Gooseworx, “hjsakldfhl” (18:55 from the start), in The Amazing Digital Circus, episode 8, spoken by Kinger (Sean Chiplock):
Etymology From earlier hawsey (1625), a nautical term of uncertain origin. Possibly from Middle English *hasi, *haswy, from Old English haswiġ (“grey; ashen; dusky”), from Old English hasu (“dusky; grey; ashen”), from Proto-Germanic *haswaz (“grey”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱeh₂s- (“bright grey”). By surface analysis, haze + -y; although Modern English haze is more likely a back-formation of hazy.
1
A variety of beer (typically a pale ale, India pale ale, or double India pale ale) golden in color with softer mouthfeel and sweeter taste than its non-hazy counterpart.
What hazies do you have on tap?
It's the craft beer style that has taken the brewing world, and the Internet, by storm. But what exactly is a hazy?2020 June 24, Molly Allen, “Hazy Beer 101: What Goes into That Instagrammable Pint”, in Sip Magazine, archived from the original on 06 May 2021:
1 more example
Hazies are a softer, slinkier IPA that swap the pinecone sharpness of a West Coast IPA for bright citrus. I've heard some drinkers complain that they taste like orange juice—the cloudy appearance means hazies often look like orange juice, too.2024, Liz Cook, “Why I Do Not Care What Beer Geeks Think About Hazy IPAs”, in Kansas City Magazine, archived from the original on 19 Jun 2024: