starry

American  

[stahr-ee] / ˈstɑr i /

adjective

starrier, starriest

1. abounding with stars.

   a starry night.

2. of, relating to, or proceeding from the stars.

3. of the nature of or consisting of stars.

   starry worlds.

4. resembling a star; star-shaped or stellate.

5. shining like stars.

   starry reflections on the dark water.

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starry British  

/ ˈstɑːrɪ /

adjective

1. filled, covered with, or illuminated by stars

2. of, like, or relating to a star or stars

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Other Word Forms

• starrily adverb
• starriness noun

Etymology

Origin of starry

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; star, -y ¹

Explanation

Starry things are either full of stars, like the starry night sky, or they look like stars, like the starry white flowers in your garden. An astronaut may have the chance to look out at the starry universe or distant, starry galaxies—and you can do this too, if you have a powerful telescope. The adjective starry almost always describes the night sky, unless a poet describes starry eyes or starry fields of flowers. If someone calls you starry-eyed, they mean that you're unrealistically optimistic.

Example Sentences

Lady Gaga, Bieber, Carpenter and Bruno Mars are set to lead a starry list of performers that also includes Lauryn Hill and a tribute to late rocker Ozzy Osbourne featuring Post Malone.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

The thrust stage, representing Amahl’s humble house, is a simple wooden platform, open to a radiantly starry sky; a lively shepherds’ chorus swirls around it, and the Kings enter down the aisles through the audience.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

Stonehenge at night with starry sky on winter solstice.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

Amid that starry A-list cast, the actor plays Maggie’s partner, Alex.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

By the time they reached the temple’s back door, the starry sky was obscured in cloud cover.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• glittering
• luminous
• sparkling
• stellar