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
Etymology
Origin of metallic
1560–70; < Latin metallicus < Greek metallikós of, for mines. See metal, -ic
Explanation
Metallic things are either made out of metal or look like they are. Your metallic party dress might be covered in sparkly silver sequins. Yowza! A metallic bicycle might be unpainted chrome — made of metal, in other words. Your metallic nail polish only resembles metal, glinting and shining gold. It's also possible to taste something that reminds you of metal and get a lingering metallic taste in your mouth. Metallic comes from metal, and both are rooted in the Greek metallon, "metal or ore."
Vocabulary lists containing metallic
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 results allowed them to rule out explanations involving strain, material degradation, inhomogeneity, and metallic screening effects.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
Our teal-green metallic test car gained $143,710 worth of personalization on its way out the door.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
She first took off the hood to reveal her hair and headband, then removed the gown to play in a black tank top and metallic tennis skirt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
But some voiced their support for his metallic opponent earlier.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Enjoy your recap,” he said over his shoulder as he left the room, the doors sliding shut behind him with an official-sounding metallic click.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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