Wavy describes something that forms a series of smooth, flowing curves that go up and down or side to side, like the pattern you see when you watch ocean waves roll toward shore. Hair can be wavy, falling in gentle curves instead of hanging straight or forming tight curls. A wavy line on paper rises and falls in a smooth, rhythmic pattern.

The ocean creates wavy patterns naturally: when wind blows across water, it pushes the surface into those familiar rising and falling shapes. You might draw wavy lines to show water in a picture, or notice wavy patterns in sand dunes shaped by wind. Wood grain often shows wavy patterns where the tree grew in curves.

When something moves in a wavy motion, it flows smoothly up and down rather than moving in a straight line or making sharp angles. A flag rippling in the breeze moves in a wavy pattern. If you shake a jump rope while your friend holds the other end, you create wavy movements that travel along its length.

People sometimes describe things as wavy when they're not quite straight but not completely curved either. Wavy potato chips have gentle ridges, and wavy hair falls somewhere between straight and curly.