spongy

[spuhn-jee]

adjective

spongier, spongiest 

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

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

3. of or relating to a sponge.

4. lacking in firmness or solidity.

   spongy wood; a spongy feeling from the car brakes.

5. moist and soft; soggy.

   spongy ground.

6. porous but hard, as bone.

ˈspongy

/ ˈspʌndʒɪ /

adjective

1. of or resembling a sponge, esp in texture, porosity, elasticity, or compressibility

   spongy bread

   spongy bone

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

Other Word Forms

• spongily adverb
• sponginess noun
• unspongy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spongy¹

First recorded in 1530–40; sponge + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Stem cells are special cells produced by bone marrow, a spongy tissue found in the centre of some bones, that can turn into different types of blood cells.

From BBC

Among the efforts to make the city spongier — and therefore less dependent on imported water — is the Safe Clean Water Program, which L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

Others said their customers preferred Tanzanian plantains over Malawian ones, describing the former as tastier, while the latter were often spongy.

From BBC

Following “Phantom Thread,” Manville scored the delightful titular role in 2022’s “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” a warm, spongy slice of mom cinema.

From Salon

The Mayo Clinic says it’s a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that occurs when white blood cells turn into cancer cells and build up in the spongy material of the marrow.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• mushy 
• porous 
• rubbery 
• soft 
• springy 
• squishy