adjective
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sticky or tacky
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consisting of, coated with, or clogged by gum or a similar substance
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producing gum
adjective
noun
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a small crustacean-eating shark, Mustelus antarcticus, with bony ridges resembling gums in its mouth
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an old ewe that has lost its incisor teeth
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of gummy
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at gum 1, -y 1
Explanation
Something that's gummy is soft and very sticky. Think of gummy bears, the candy, and you'll get the idea. Nothing is more gummy than actual gum, especially when it's been chewed and dropped on the sidewalk and then stepped on. Glue is gummy too, and once you've chewed them a little bit, so are Gummy Bears candy. Gummy comes from the noun gum, with its Greek root word, kommi, "gum" or "resin."
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.
Here, she discusses her physical and mental transformation, the importance of intimacy and the candy joy of a Nerds Gummy Cluster.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Speaking of gummies, another must-try is TJ’s Fruity Gummy Candies, which include not one but five unique flavors: pineapple, mango, grapefruit, watermelon and blueberry.
From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025
Gummy Bear has been renamed Gummy, but even that will soon be dropped.
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2023
Gummy vitamin and mineral supplements contain fewer nutrients than their “regular” counterparts, because some vitamins and minerals aren’t easily incorporated into gummies, and others aren’t included due to poor taste.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2022
Orange Gummy Slices! not a slug despite its resemblance!
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
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.
