clammy

American  

[klam-ee] / ˈklæm i /

adjective

clammier, clammiest

1. covered with a cold, sticky moisture; cold and damp.

   clammy hands.

2. sickly; morbid.

   She had a clammy feeling that something was wrong at home.

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clammy British  

/ ˈklæmɪ /

adjective

1. unpleasantly sticky; moist

   clammy hands

2. (of the weather, atmosphere, etc) close; humid

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Other Word Forms

• clammily adverb
• clamminess noun

Etymology

Origin of clammy

1350–1400; Middle English, equivalent to Middle English clam sticky, cold and damp + -y -y ¹

Example Sentences

Sweat breaks out on her brow, the kind that’s probably clammy and cold.

From Literature

“In the ‘morning’ the air is thick; it hangs in a clammy, damp mass that you can all but grasp with your hands.

From The Wall Street Journal

This shame is embedded into Western culture, says Ms Everts, who has long suffered embarrassment about her own clammy skin.

From BBC

“As soon as it gets sweaty and wet, it actually wicks heat away from your body and makes you feel really cold and clammy.”

From The Wall Street Journal

This evolutionary gift adds a clammy disquiet to the eye-jacked livestock, which never rests and is constantly evaluating its captors and fellow captives.

From Salon