waxy¹

[wak-see]

See more synonyms for waxy on Thesaurus.com

adjective, wax·i·er, wax·i·est.

resembling wax in appearance or characteristics: His face had a waxy shine.
abounding in, covered with, or made of wax: Be careful! The floor is waxy.
pliable, yielding, or impressionable: a waxy personality.

Origin of waxy¹

First recorded in 1545–55; wax¹ + -y¹

Related formswax·i·ly, adverbwax·i·ness, noun

waxy²

[wak-see]

adjective, wax·i·er, wax·i·est. Chiefly British.

angry.

Origin of waxy²

First recorded in 1850–55; wax³ + -y¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for waxy

Contemporary Examples

It begins with me being nudged awake by a waxy moon spilling silver-white light through the window as I sucked my thumb.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’
Eileen Cronin
April 8, 2014
The world of competitive bodybuilding, and Gov. Schwarzenegger, owed its waxy life to androgens.
Where Were the Doctors to Testify at Roger Clemens’s Perjury Trial?
Kent Sepkowitz
June 20, 2012
In addition to her waxy Prince William, Rubell will also show a new series of Drinking Paintings in London.
How to Marry Prince William
Rachel Wolff
February 8, 2011
The combination of strands of softly cooked skate flesh and slices of waxy potatoes is a deeply pleasing one.
The Backyard Cookout Gets Stylish
Katie Workman
July 14, 2009

Historical Examples

His face changed from its copper color to a dull, waxy yellow.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
Above all, we wanted some waxy matter with which to experiment.
The Stark Munro Letters
J. Stark Munro
The leaves are long and glossy; the blossoms are waxy white.
Fil and Filippa
John Stuart Thomson
And I went and put the fowls in instead of the dog, and he was waxy, so I had to knock a quid off.
Sons and Lovers
David Herbert Lawrence
I'd like to tell mamma to try it, only she'd be sure to get waxy.
The Beth Book
Sarah Grand

British Dictionary definitions for waxy

waxy¹

adjective waxier or waxiest

resembling wax in colour, appearance, or texture
made of, covered with, or abounding in wax

Derived Formswaxily, adverbwaxiness, noun

waxy²

adjective waxier or waxiest

British informal, old-fashioned bad-tempered or irritable; angry

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 waxy

adj.

1550s, "made of wax," from wax (n.) + -y (2). Figurative use from 1590s. Meaning "like wax" is from 1799. Related: Waxiness.

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Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}waxy1

waxy2

Origin of waxy2

Examples from the Web for waxy

Contemporary Examples

It begins with me being nudged awake by a waxy moon spilling silver-white light through the window as I sucked my thumb.

The world of competitive bodybuilding, and Gov. Schwarzenegger, owed its waxy life to androgens.

In addition to her waxy Prince William, Rubell will also show a new series of Drinking Paintings in London.

The combination of strands of softly cooked skate flesh and slices of waxy potatoes is a deeply pleasing one.

Historical Examples

His face changed from its copper color to a dull, waxy yellow.

Above all, we wanted some waxy matter with which to experiment.

The leaves are long and glossy; the blossoms are waxy white.

And I went and put the fowls in instead of the dog, and he was waxy, so I had to knock a quid off.

I'd like to tell mamma to try it, only she'd be sure to get waxy.

waxy1

waxy2

Word Origin and History for waxy

adj.

waxy¹

Origin of waxy¹

waxy²

Origin of waxy²

waxy¹

waxy²