glossy

1 of 2

adjective

ˈglä-sē How to pronounce glossy (audio)
ˈglȯ-
glossier; glossiest
1
: having a surface luster or brightness
rich glossy leather
glossy paper
2
: attractive in an artificially opulent, sophisticated, or smoothly captivating manner : slick
lots of glossy and phony chatter
glossily adverb
glossiness noun

glossy

2 of 2

noun

plural glossies
1
: a photograph printed on smooth shiny paper
2
chiefly British : slick sense 5
Choose the Right Synonym for glossy

sleek, slick, glossy mean having a smooth bright surface or appearance.

sleek suggests a smoothness or brightness resulting from attentive grooming or physical conditioning.

a sleek racehorse

slick suggests extreme smoothness that results in a slippery surface.

slipped and fell on the slick floor

glossy suggests a highly reflective surface.

photographs having a glossy finish

Examples of glossy in a Sentence

Adjective a plant with glossy green leaves the glossy finish on the gym floor
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Her makeup included bold brows, a smokey eye, long lashes and a glossy, neutral lip. Julia Teti, WWD, 31 Oct. 2024 Your once glossy locks start to lose shine, grow brittle, and look completely lackluster. Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
And that doesn't change the fact that executives still want to see themselves on the cover of a glossy or their company written about in a major business publication. Eleanor Hawkins, Axios, 10 Oct. 2024 Gianni Versace did the same, changing in the late ’80s from runway mannequins to the kind of models who ignited the pages of the glossies as a Versace show became less about the clothes and more about Christy, Naomi, Linda, and Cindy wearing the clothes. Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for glossy 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

gloss entry 1 + -y entry 1

Noun

derivative of glossy entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glossy was in 1556

Dictionary Entries Near glossy

Cite this Entry

“Glossy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glossy. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

glossy

adjective
ˈgläs-ē,
ˈglȯs-
glossier; glossiest
: having a surface luster or brightness
glossiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on glossy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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