filmy

adjective

ˈfil-mē 

filmier; filmiest

1

: of, resembling, or composed of film : gauzy

filmy draperies

2

: covered with a haze or film

filmily

ˈfil-mə-lē 

adverb

filminess

ˈfil-mē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• cobwebby
• flimsy
• frothy
• gauzy
• gossamer
• gossamery
• insubstantial
• sleazy
• unsubstantial

Examples of filmy in a Sentence

filmy cobwebs covering the entryway to the cellar

those filmy curtains don't block out enough light

Recent Examples on the Web

The main waste product of the Sims plant are bales of filmy, thin plastics, like dry cleaner bags. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 June 2025

The line between triumph and tragedy is incredibly thin, and 100 Foot Wave conveys that simultaneous elation and danger with every swooping drone shot of a surfer cutting a line through a swell and every splash of filmy foam on the camera lens. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 May 2025

Windex has a filmy residue that will cling to stone's porous surface, Wilson adds. —Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 19 May 2025

The touch screen was desensitized with a filmy layer of grease, the cumulative tapping of many dirty hands. —Anelise Chen, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

filmy

adjective

ˈfil-mē 

filmier; filmiest

: of, resembling, suggesting, or made of film

filminess noun