grainy

adjective

ˈgrā-nē 

grainier; grainiest

1

: resembling or having some characteristic of grain : not smooth or fine

2

of a photograph : appearing to be composed of grain-like particles

graininess noun

Synonyms of grainy

• coarse
• grained
• sandy
• granular

Examples of grainy in a Sentence

The mustard has a grainy texture.

grainy sand kept it off the rankings as one of the nation's best beaches

Recent Examples on the Web

In January, the clothing label Guess launched a rebrand campaign composed of lowercase copy in acid-yellow type over grainy selfie-style photos; the Guess logo is printed over patchy white highlights, as if someone had hastily scratched out the surface beneath the word in Photoshop. —Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 6 May 2026

One of the most popular and versatile of all Mexican cheeses, cotija is a grainy, salty cheese that adds a tangy, umami kick to everything from avocado toast to a plate of chilaquiles. —Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 4 May 2026

The only public image of the attacker — or attackers — appears as a speck in a short, grainy clip of the explosion. —Thad Moore, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026

There is computer vision software that pulls measurable stats from grainy scouting footage. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grainy

• brainy
• cheyney
• rainey
• zany
• allegany
• miscellany
• theophany
• terrane