metallic
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or consisting of metal.
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of the nature of or suggesting metal, as in luster, resonance, or hardness.
metallic green; a harsh metallic sound.
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Chemistry.
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(of a metal element) being in the free or uncombined state.
metallic iron.
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containing or yielding metal.
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noun
adjective
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of, concerned with, or consisting of metal or a metal
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suggestive of a metal
a metallic click
metallic lustre
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chem (of a metal element) existing in the free state rather than in combination
metallic copper
Other Word Forms
- intermetallic adjective
- metalleity noun
- metallically adverb
- metallicity noun
- multimetallic adjective
- semimetallic adjective
- unmetallic adjective
- unmetallically adverb
Etymology
Origin of metallic
1560–70; < Latin metallicus < Greek metallikós of, for mines. See metal, -ic
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.
They also produced dark or metallic finishes, limiting the range of cosmetic options.
From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026
Oil fires can also release sulphur and nitrogen oxides, which can form acids if they dissolve in rainwater, as well as other harmful hydrocarbons, metallic compounds and droplets of oil.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
Two weeks before the show, young seamstresses were crocheting floral motifs in mohair and Japanese metallic thread at a south London studio overlooking the Thames river and Big Ben.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
For her sit-down with Shepherd, Huger was styled in a formfitting burnt orange dress, metallic cuffs and a chic bob.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026
And so following her directions, I drove through Pawhuska and headed west across the prairie, through the tall grasses, until I saw what she’d vividly described to me: scores of metallic towers invading the sky.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
