chalky
Americanadjective
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of or like chalk.
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of a chalklike consistency.
chalky soil.
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without resonance, color, warmth, etc..
several high tones that were quite chalky.
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Photography. lacking in detail, due to extreme contrast.
a chalky print.
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Sports Slang. relating to the competitor considered most likely to win by the oddsmakers.
Sports betting is boring if all you make are chalky picks—put some money on a long shot and live a little!
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of chalky
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English chalki, chalky; see origin at chalk, -y 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Fiber-drink concoctions of years past were lumpy or chalky and generally tasted awful, even if they managed to deliver more fiber itself.
From MarketWatch ● May 10, 2026
The tournament is so chalky that the real surprise is that Ezekowitz’s model doesn’t have any upsets that exceed a 50% win probability for the first time in 15 years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
"We're connecting tiny chalky organisms to planetary carbon flows," says Dr. Guerreiro.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2025
Aryan loved the roaring sound of the engine fill the air and then grow louder as the plane cruised above him, leaving behind chalky threads of contrail in the sky,
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2025
Cole knelt on the slippery rocks and drank until the chalky dryness left his mouth.
From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen
The team concluded this was mainly due to texture, as participants reported the rice flour chocolate contained "a chalkier texture," while oat-flour-containing chocolates were described as "smoother, softer and creamier."
From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2024
It all seems suddenly to flash before my eyes — only the dust in Afghanistan was chalkier and finer than the dust from this walnut slab, which is old, but not Afghanistan old.
From Salon ● Nov. 14, 2018
It tasted flowery and sweet, but with a chalkier consistency than real manna.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 3, 2018
Its surface is disconcertingly soft-looking, a beige putty color, waxy in places and chalkier in others.
From New York Times ● Mar. 27, 2018
Trotter's sallow young face grew chalkier as he wrote, though he was unconscious of either effort or weariness.
From Stories from Everybody's Magazine by Various
After one of the two chalkiest first and second rounds ever, the regionals produced the best second weekend of the N.C.A.A. tournament in 20 years, and potentially set up two or three more great games.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2019
The N.C.A.A. tournament’s second weekend opens Thursday with one of the two chalkiest brackets in history.
From New York Times ● Mar. 25, 2019
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
