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Synonyms

waxy

1 American  
[wak-see] / ˈwæk si /

adjective

waxier, waxiest

  1. resembling wax in appearance or characteristics.

    His face had a waxy shine.

  2. abounding in, covered with, or made of wax.

    Be careful! The floor is waxy.

  3. pliable, yielding, or impressionable.

    a waxy personality.
waxy 2 American  
[wak-see] / ˈwæk si /

adjective

Chiefly British.
waxier, waxiest

  1. angry.

waxy 1 British  
/ ˈwæksɪ /

adjective

  1. resembling wax in colour, appearance, or texture

  2. made of, covered with, or abounding in wax

"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
waxy 2 British  
/ ˈwæksɪ /

adjective

  1. informal 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

Other Word Forms

  • waxily adverb
  • waxiness noun

Etymology

Origin of waxy1

First recorded in 1545–55; wax 1 + -y 1

Origin of waxy2

First recorded in 1850–55; wax 3 + -y 1

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.

Croda was founded in 1925 when George Crowe and Henry Dawe began producing lanolin, a waxy substance made from sheep's wool.

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2025

For example, drought prompts plants to thicken the waxy cuticle layer on leaf surfaces.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024

Six thousand trees — nearly all of them varieties of Coffea arabica, the most widely consumed and best-tasting coffee species — sit in neatly planted rows, their waxy, deep green leaves shimmering in the sun.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2024

But you can use that waxy bag or those little plastic bags if you have pets.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2024

The birthday cupcake sits between us, the candle melted down to a waxy puddle.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

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.