Shrubby describes something that is like a shrub or is full of shrubs. A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, with multiple stems branching from near the ground instead of a single tall trunk. Think of blueberry bushes, roses, or those rounded boxwood plants you see trimmed into shapes in front yards.

When a landscape looks shrubby, it's covered with these low, branching plants rather than tall trees or open grass. A shrubby hillside might be thick with wild bushes and brambles. A plant described as having a shrubby growth habit tends to spread out in multiple stems rather than growing straight up like a sunflower or a pine tree.

The word can also describe things that resemble shrubs in appearance. Someone might describe a dog's shrubby tail if it's bushy and spreading, like a plant. Gardeners use shrubby to describe plants that develop woody stems and keep their shape through winter, even when their leaves fall off.