glossy

American  

[glos-ee, glaw-see] / ˈglɒs i, ˈglɔ si /

adjective

glossier, glossiest

1. having a shiny or lustrous surface.

   Synonyms:

   glazed, polished, shining

   Antonyms:

   dull

2. having a false or deceptive appearance or air, especially of experience or sophistication; specious.

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noun

plural

glossies

1. slick.

2. a photograph printed on glossy paper.

glossy British  

/ ˈɡlɒsɪ /

adjective

1. smooth and shiny; lustrous

2. superficially attractive; plausible

3. (of a magazine) lavishly produced on shiny paper and usually with many colour photographs

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noun

1. Also called (US): slick.  an expensively produced magazine, typically a sophisticated fashion or glamour magazine, printed on shiny paper and containing high quality colour photography Compare pulp

2. a photograph printed on paper that has a smooth shiny surface

Other Word Forms

• glossily adverb
• glossiness noun
• nonglossy adjective
• unglossy adjective

Etymology

Origin of glossy

First recorded in 1550–60; gloss ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

At the Armoni Inn & Suites, rooms boast modern appliances and glossy wood furniture, while a chandelier hovers in the foyer near a swanky sitting area.

From The Wall Street Journal

Data centers are the same kind of extraction, only this time the corporations are hiding them behind fences, nondisclosure agreements and a lot of glossy PR about “upcycling” coal mines and powering the future.

From Salon

She's lovely and glossy, well-fed and has been looked after somewhere.

From BBC

In this way, Common Country and Lucinda’s seem to exist on opposite ends of the eternal country music divide: glossy, highly produced “pop-country” on one side, and the harder-edged “outlaw” variety on the other.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its main form of communicating with customers was through glossy print ads.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bright
• gleaming
• glistening
• lustrous
• polished
• silky
• sleek
• slick