pearlier; pearliest
1
: resembling, containing, or adorned with pearls or mother-of-pearl
2
: highly precious

Examples of pearly in a Sentence

Her teeth were pearly white.
Recent Examples on the Web After pole dancing his way into hell and grinding on the devil, Lil Nas X is ready to climb his way back up to the pearly gates with an enchanting new clip. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 30 Nov. 2023 Al Green's still got it after all Last night, Cincinnati learned two important lessons about Al Green: 1) Al Green still has one of the pearliest voices in the history of music, and 2) that man is a character. Joshua Medintz, The Enquirer, 22 July 2023 Her recent pearly shirts, which reference working-​class London’s pearly societies, were refashioned by Bode with deadstock buttons from Muscatine, Iowa, where circa 1910 Mississippi River clamshells were transformed into one third of the world’s pearl buttons. Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2023 But the pearlies argue over which group is the rightful caretaker of the pearly legacy. Megan Specia, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Apr. 2023 From the pearly sands of Phuket to the azure coves of Bali, South Asia's got plenty of fodder for beach bums. Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2022 Damar Hamlin held a clapperboard in front of his pearly whites for his first interview since going into cardiac arrest Jan. 2 during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2023 Not only will their breath be fresh, but their pearly whites will gleam too thanks to the six-point shape that allows for effective plaque removal in hard-to-reach areas. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2023 Tyrese Gibson flashes his pearly whites while watching the L.A. Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks play at State Farm Arena, the latter's home court, on Dec. 30. People Staff, Peoplemag, 9 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pearly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pearly was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near pearly

Cite this Entry

“Pearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pearly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pearly

adjective
pearlier; pearliest
: resembling pearls or mother-of-pearl

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