lacy
adjective
of or resembling lace; lacelike.
lacy
1 American
[ley-see]
/ ˈleɪ si /
adjective
lacier,
laciest
Lacy
2
American
[ley-see]
/ ˈleɪ si /
noun
lacy
British
/ ˈleɪsɪ /
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lacy
Explanation
Lacy means gauzy and delicate, with small, ornate details. Think of your grandma's lacy kitchen curtains or the lacy fronds of a fern. This adjective means "like lace," that gauzy fabric that's patterned with tiny holes. You might decorate a table with lacy doilies or a lacy tablecloth, wear a long skirt with a lacy flounce at the bottom, or tidy the lacy throw pillows on a couch. This type of delicate pattern in nature is also lacy: "I love looking at the sun filtering through the lacy leaves of the big oak tree."
Vocabulary lists containing lacy
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.
The final collection for Wilson is pleated, fluffy, lacy and — with its neat A-line cuts and sophisticated collars — unmistakably tennis.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
In terms of beauty, “ it’s hard to beat the king-of-the-salmon,” said Robison, adding that part of its allure comes from its enormous lacy red fins and silver sides.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026
Ms. Carson, who is wearing a black lacy gown, mutters, “Oh God, whatever,” as she waves her arms in exasperation.
From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2024
In case anyone were tempted to view "Queen Charlotte" as biographically accurate, the following disclaimer flutters across our screens before we glimpse the first lacy hemline.
From Salon • May 6, 2023
He’s heard of snow and thinks of lacy ice falling from the sky.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
