gamy

1 of 2

adjective

ˈgā-mē 

variants or gamey

gamier; gamiest

1

: brave, plucky

—used especially of animals

2

a

: having the flavor of game

especially : having the flavor of game near tainting

b

: smelly

3

a

: sordid, scandalous

gave us all the gamy details

b

: corrupt, disreputable

a gamy character

c

: sexually suggestive : racy

gamy witticisms

gamily

ˈgā-mə-lē 

adverb

gaminess

ˈgā-mē-nəs 

noun

-gamy

2 of 2

noun combining form

1

: marriage

exogamy

2

: union for propagation or reproduction

allogamy

3

: possession of (such) reproductive organs or (such) a mode of fertilization

cleistogamy

Synonyms

Adjective

• bawdy
• blue
• lewd
• off
• off-color
• off-colored
• racy
• ribald
• risqué
• salty
• spicy
• suggestive

Examples of gamy in a Sentence

Adjective

a singles bar where the conversations and come-on lines tend to be gamy

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Lamb Chops With Minty Pea Puree and Pomegranate Minty peas and sweet-tart pomegranate are a great complement for gamy lamb chops. —Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024

All the same, today Alaska’s on-a-bun benefaction is a dog made with lean, delicately gamy reindeer. —J. J. Goode, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2023

Plus, the horror has a purpose, beyond gamy genre thrills. —Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2023

The plot is a deliberately gamy melodrama. —Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

in sense 1 from game entry 2 + -y entry 1; in other senses from game entry 1 + -y entry 1

Noun combining form

borrowed from Greek -gamia, from the base of gameîn "to marry" + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at -gamous

First Known Use

Adjective

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Kids Definition

gamy

adjective

variants or gamey

ˈgā-mē 

gamier; gamiest

1

: brave, plucky

2

: having the flavor of wild game especially when slightly spoiled

gamy meat

gamily

ˈgā-mə-lē 

adverb

gaminess

ˈgā-mē-nəs 

noun