frothy

American  

[fraw-thee, froth-ee] / ˈfrɔ θi, ˈfrɒθ i /

adjective

• frothier,
  comparative
• frothiest
  superlative

1. of, like, or having froth; foamy.

2. unsubstantial; trifling; shallow; empty.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• frothiness
  noun
• frothily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• frothier
  comparative
• frothiest
  superlative

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Etymology

Origin of frothy

First recorded in 1525–35; froth + -y ¹

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Explanation

Something frothy is composed of many small air bubbles. You might like your cappuccino frothy but probably not your tap water. If you order a cappuccino at a cafe, you'll get a cup of strong coffee topped with frothy milk, and a cake recipe might instruct you to beat four eggs until they're frothy. In both examples, air bubbles cause a liquid to become foamy and creamy. A frothy person, however, is bubbly in a different way, full of life and excitement. There's often an implication of "insubstantial," or even "silly" when a person or idea is described as frothy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

frothy frothier frothiest

Instead, it was a layered cake made from whipping butter and sugar until it was frothy and then sifting in the dry ingredients.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

She gets the frothy fantastical tone and brings some darker elements to the table as well.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Indeed, the headline CPI is expected to rise a frothy 0.4% in August.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

The increase in consumer spending was revised up to show a frothy 3.4% annual increase, instead of 3.2% as originally reported.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

And just when he thought he might be lost entirely, the snow stopped, Lizzie said, “Oh,” and the waves began to sound again with their frothy roars.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

“Our sense remains that the core of the AI thesis remains intact and would probably survive a continued separating of the wheat from the chaff in the frothier parts of the equity market.”

From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2025

For a film that recalls Kidman’s past roles and meets her in this present artistic moment — where she’s been deftly juggling prestige with frothier mainstream projects — “Holland” should be a coup.

From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2025

In general, cold water sounds brighter and splashier, while hot water sounds duller and frothier.

From New York Times ● May 9, 2024

Consider it a many-layered cultural counterpart to its frothier cousin.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 19, 2023

It became frothier and frothier, and it turned from blue to white to green to brown to yellow, then back to blue again.

From "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl

As global stocks push toward all-time highs, a gauge of market risk has reached its frothiest level since the 2000 downturn, but investors should not be backing away quite yet.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026

In 2021, investors poured money into newly public companies, creating the frothiest IPO market in decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

"Everything has to have its own necessity for being - even the frothiest sort of fun movie," Streep says.

From BBC ● May 1, 2026

The show, postponed two months from its usual early-January perch, will have little of what makes the Globes one of the frothiest and glitziest events of the year.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2021

Mrs. Gilmer was one of those light-headed and light-hearted women, who float upon the topmost and frothiest wave of society, herself a glittering bubble.

From Fairy Fingers A Novel by Anna Cora Ogden Mowatt Ritchie

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