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

At the back end, its propellers fizzed through the water and left a trail of frothy waves in its wake.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

“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

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

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 19, 2023

It is already seeking a valuation that is frothier than some bigger shoe brands.

From Reuters ● Oct. 8, 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

Among individual sectors, the frothiest — not surprisingly — is information technology, with a crash probability of 45%.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 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

Recently the frothiest moments from Peloton workout videos have been skimmed off the app and floated to other social networks, where they are read differently.

From New York Times ● Mar. 16, 2021

Spenser was contented with the fairies of romance, but Shakespeare founded his elfin world on the frothiest of the people's traditions, and has clothed it in the ever-living flowers of his own exuberant fancy.

From Legends of the North; The Guidman O' Inglismill and The Fairy Bride by Patrick Buchan

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