glossy

[ glos-ee, glaw-see ]

adjective

, gloss·i·er, gloss·i·est.

1. having a shiny or lustrous surface.

   Synonyms: glazed, polished, shining

   Antonyms: dull

2. having a false or deceptive appearance or air, especially of experience or sophistication; specious.

noun

, plural gloss·ies.

1. slick ( def 9 ).
2. a photograph printed on glossy paper.

glossy

/ ˈɡlɒsɪ /

adjective

1. smooth and shiny; lustrous
2. superficially attractive; plausible
3. (of a magazine) lavishly produced on shiny paper and usually with many colour photographs

noun

1. See pulp
   Also called (US)slick an expensively produced magazine, typically a sophisticated fashion or glamour magazine, printed on shiny paper and containing high quality colour photography Compare pulp
2. a photograph printed on paper that has a smooth shiny surface

Derived Forms

• ˈglossiness, noun
• ˈglossily, adverb

Other Words From

• glossi·ly adverb
• glossi·ness noun
• non·glossy adjective
• un·glossy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of glossy¹

First recorded in 1550–60; gloss ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

The simply titled “garden vegetables” pack in glossy shishito peppers, soft-crisp daikon and pickled beech mushrooms lit up with turmeric, a combination that plays well with thin and tensile green tea soba.

From Washington Post

If you’re looking to put a little effort into your rice, say no more — this one literally glitters with dried fruit, glossy, caramelized onion and crisp, saffron-dyed rice.

From Washington Post

The glossy hardtail frame and 6 speeds encourage aggressive riding, and at the 1200 suspension fork handles bumpy rides with ease.

From Popular-Science

To the credit of Jones and the filmmakers, they don’t offer a glossy story of opening hearts and changing minds—instead they provide a helpful model of how awkward and incremental these conversations can be.

From Outside Online

Snow-smothered twiggy branches in winter, glossy apples in September at my uncle’s house, packed in backpacks for granite hikes, an unanswered dash in a quiet graveyard in the Catskills.

From Nautilus

Within the baseball world, the glossy view of Palmer--his public image--is seen as a sort of strange joke.

From The Daily Beast

Trierweiler, a journalist for the glossy weekly Paris Match, was hospitalized for a week, ostensibly under the strain of events.

From The Daily Beast

And the hot fudge is some of the best anywhere – thick and glossy black, just minimally sweet.

From The Daily Beast

Forget the ever-growing bald spot—the glossy provided William with a nice, fuller head of hair.

From The Daily Beast

But there are worse glossy cartoons, and worse TV ensembles to spend thirty late-night minutes with.

From The Daily Beast

It was a beautiful sight, those rows of small trees with their large, glossy leaves, shut in by woods of a larger growth.

From Project Gutenberg

But as he turned toward the door she caught a glimpse of a glossy black mustache, and two beady black eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

The string is black and glossy as the tresses that fall in tangled skeins on the shoulders of the dreamy beauties of Tuscany.

From Project Gutenberg

Many of the horses were sleek, glossy, and fine-limbed, like racers; others were strong-boned and rough.

From Project Gutenberg

Sure enough, it has five strings; the middle one stands higher than the rest and is of glossy blackness.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bright
• gleaming
• glistening
• lustrous
• polished
• silky
• sleek
• slick