adjective
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of, relating to, or containing starch
starchy foods
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extremely formal, stiff, or conventional
a starchy manner
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stiffened with starch
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of starchy
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.
In the frosty air, with their starchy beards and extravagant ear tufts, they looked magisterial.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
Andrew says the "worst offenders" include cereal, scrambled eggs, or starchy food with protein-heavy residues.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
Tossed with pasta, egg, cheese, and a little of the starchy cooking water, they became a mushroom carbonara—rich, smoky, and deeply satisfying.
From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025
Cavities form when bacteria erode tooth enamel, often due to sugary or starchy foods, inadequate brushing, or genetic factors.
From Science Daily • Oct. 27, 2025
For dinner she is buttoned into a starchy dress from some bygone decade.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions 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.
