smoky
Americanadjective
-
emitting, containing, or resembling smoke
-
emitting smoke excessively or in the wrong place
a smoky fireplace
-
of or tinged with the colour smoke
a smoky cat
-
having the flavour of having been cured by smoking
-
made dark, dirty, or hazy by smoke
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of smoky
A Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at smoke, -y 1
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.
See Examples For:
"This smoky taste will only reveal itself after fermentation."
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
On a hot and smoky mid-July Saturday night at the Detroit Opera House, the front-running campaign in Michigan’s Senate Democratic primary had little to say about the Republican Party.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
The clouds, which have been observed during wildfires in Canada and Australia, are created by intense heat that lifts hot smoky air and causes the water vapor to condense into ash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
"By Sunday evening everything had really begun to empty out," a holidaymaker from Essex told the BBC, adding that the air was "really smoky" with bits of ash.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Give him some space,” a voice said, deep and smoky.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
The sky outside seemed even smokier than before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2025
The warming planet will produce hotter and longer heat waves, making for bigger, smokier fires, according to Joel Thornton, professor and chair of the department of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
The darker, the peatier, the smokier, the better.
From New York Times ● Jan. 23, 2023
Pros: A smokier flavor that would suit "surf and turf" better than the other methods.
From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2022
It had grown darker and smokier while they’d waited out the storm.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Aged Cheddar is that cheese, sharp enough to stand up to the smokiest of smoked meats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
This year the festival reduced the number of outdoor performances scheduled in August — generally, but not always, the smokiest month.
From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2022
“Today it’s actually the smokiest that we’ve seen,” Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite fire information spokesperson, said Sunday.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 10, 2022
For the smokiest, most charred flavor, grill thick planks of eggplant and then combine them with garlic, scallions, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil.
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2022
Early in the sweet June morning—sweet and fair although it brooded over London, the smokiest city in the world—Cynthia was again walking in Kensington Gardens.
From A Life Sentence A Novel by Adeline Sergeant
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
