glossy

1 of 2

adjective

ˈglä-sē 

ˈglȯ-

glossier; glossiest

1

: having a surface luster or brightness

rich glossy leather

glossy paper

2

: attractive in an artificially opulent, sophisticated, or smoothly captivating manner : slick

lots of glossy and phony chatter

glossily

ˈglä-sə-lē 

ˈglȯ-

adverb

glossiness

ˈglä-sē-nəs 

ˈglȯ-

noun

glossy

2 of 2

noun

plural glossies

1

: a photograph printed on smooth shiny paper

2

chiefly British : slick sense 5

Synonyms

Adjective

• polished
• sleek
• glistening
• satin

Choose the Right Synonym for glossy

sleek, slick, glossy mean having a smooth bright surface or appearance.

sleek suggests a smoothness or brightness resulting from attentive grooming or physical conditioning.

a sleek racehorse

slick suggests extreme smoothness that results in a slippery surface.

slipped and fell on the slick floor

glossy suggests a highly reflective surface.

photographs having a glossy finish

Examples of glossy in a Sentence

Adjective

a plant with glossy green leaves

the glossy finish on the gym floor

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Fox’s lips were painted in a gray-nude glossy shade, a neutral choice to complement her pale, even-toned base. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 1 July 2025

The New York Post covered the killer’s trial gavel to gavel, while glossy magazines wrote about how not to let this happen to you. —Mary Jane Gibson, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2025

Noun

But with Wintour having announced the creation of a new position to head editorial at U.S. Vogue, , curiosity is growing over what's next for the esteemed fashion magazine and who will be chosen to lead the glossy after almost four decades of Wintour shaping its vision. —A Martínez, NPR, 27 June 2025

The tongue-in-cheek, thumb-in-the-eye attitude extends through to the exhibition catalogue, printed to resemble a mid-market glossy with too many cover lines, and a fake ad for a Balenciaga watch, bearing a caseback instead of the time. —Miles Socha, Footwear News, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

gloss entry 1 + -y entry 1

Noun

derivative of glossy entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for glossy

• aussie
• basi
• bossy
• fossae
• khasi
• lossy
• masi
• mossy
• posse
• quasi
• saucy
• bagasse

Kids Definition

glossy

adjective

ˈgläs-ē,

ˈglȯs-

glossier; glossiest

: having a surface luster or brightness

glossiness noun