sooty

[soot-ee, soo-tee]

adjective

sootier, sootiest 

1. covered, blackened, or smirched with soot.

2. consisting of or resembling soot.

3. of a black, blackish, or dusky color.

sooty

/ ˈsʊtɪ /

adjective

1. covered with soot

2. resembling or consisting of soot

Other Word Forms

• sootily adverb
• sootiness noun
• unsooty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sooty¹

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; soot, -y ¹

Example Sentences

They may be relocating to avoid sooty skies.

From Los Angeles Times

The mostly white moths stood out in the sooty environment and became easy prey for predators.

From Salon

The other side of the detective’s profile has him strolling between the starched propriety of upper-class society and the sooty underbelly, doing rich men’s dirty work.

From Salon

Those pollutants include particulate matter 2.5, or sooty material that is released from vehicles, industrial smokestacks and wildfires.

From Los Angeles Times

Now stored in sealed plastic bags, the sooty plumes will help answer questions about how chronic smoke exposure affects birds, and what exactly the animals were exposed to during L.A.’s firestorms.

From Los Angeles Times