spongy

[spuhn-jee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spongy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, spon·gi·er, spon·gi·est.

of the nature of or resembling a sponge; light, porous, and elastic or readily compressible, as pith or bread.

having the absorbent characteristics of a sponge; absorbing or holding liquid or yielding liquid when pressed.

of or relating to a sponge.

lacking in firmness or solidity: spongy wood; a spongy feeling from the car brakes.

moist and soft; soggy: spongy ground.

porous but hard, as bone.

Nearby words

Origin of spongy

First recorded in 1530–40; sponge + -y¹

Related formsspon·gi·ly, adverbspon·gi·ness, nounun·spong·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spongy

The half-circle of bread gets squeezed open to become a pocket like a huge, spongy pita.
The Jersey Shore’s Biggest Weiners Are at Jimmy Buff’s|Jane & Michael Stern|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But last fall it seemed as if the spongy, sickly-sweet confections would disappear from the face of the earth.
Twinkies Are Coming Back: The Metropoulos Brothers on the Brand|Daniel Gross|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The tenderloin is rare when soft and spongy, and it becomes firmer as it reaches medium to well done.
The Maori Star Chef Rocking the South Pacific|Lea Lane Stern|April 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He sagged and swayed for an instant; there was a ghastly, ragged, spongy gap between his shoulders.
The Red Debt|Everett MacDonald

Spongy metallic iron is more energetic in its action than charcoal, and remains serviceable for a twelvemonth.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley
Near by was a hou-tree swamp, a spongy, marshy place where cattle were eating grass that grew under water.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 26, October, 1880|Various
Spongy framework everywhere of the same structure, very compact, with small meshes, three to four times as broad as the bars.
Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia)|Ernst Haeckel
It forms a spongy vascular mass, its uterine surface being divided unequally into irregular lobes called cotyledons.
A System of Midwifery|Edward Rigby

British Dictionary definitions for spongy

spongy

adjective -gier or -giest

of or resembling a sponge, esp in texture, porosity, elasticity, or compressibilityspongy bread; spongy bone

of or like a sponge in respect of its capacity to absorb fluid and yield it when compressed

Derived Formsspongily, adverbsponginess, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for spongy

spongy

adj.

"soft, elastic," 1530s, from sponge (n.) + -y (2). Related: Sponginess.

Medicine definitions for spongy

spongy

[spŭn′jē]

adj.

Resembling a sponge in appearance, elasticity, or porosity.

Related formsspong′i•ness n.

spongy

adjective, spon·gi·er, spon·gi·est.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of spongy

Examples from the Web for spongy

spongy

adjective -gier or -giest

spongy

spongy

adj.