gauzy
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- gauzily adverb
- gauziness noun
Etymology
Origin of gauzy
Explanation
A gauzy fabric is sheer and lightweight. You might have gauzy curtains that allow light to shine through them as they blow in the breeze. Use the adjective gauzy to describe something light and translucent. A girl's curtain of long hair and her summery cotton dress might both be gauzy. The word comes from gauze, which is a light, filmy fabric made of a thin, sheer material. The French root is gaze, which in turn comes either from the Arabic gazz, "raw silk," or possibly from the city of Gaza, where this type of fabric is made.
Vocabulary lists containing gauzy
Speak
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The First Rule of Punk
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The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor
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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.
He describes this youthful romance in sometimes gauzy clichés: “From that moment on, we loved each other so much, we felt that no other people had ever experienced such love before.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
The Japanese superstar emerged onto Rod Laver Arena for her first-round clash on Tuesday carrying a white parasol with matching wide-brimmed hat and long gauzy veil.
From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026
Her Instagram account, which is currently deactivated, featured a strangely homogenous series of headshots, all showing the gauzy, unreal lighting that's characteristic of AI image generators.
From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026
When the CEO finally spoke, his gauzy call for unity — “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people” — satisfied no one.
From Salon • Aug. 28, 2025
Her hair made a gauzy cloud around her tiny form.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
