glossy

adjective \ ˈglä-sē , ˈglȯ- \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: glossy in a Sentence

Definition of glossy

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

play \ˈglä-sə-lē, ˈglȯ-\ adverb

—

glossiness

play \ˈglä-sē-nəs, ˈglȯ-\ noun

See glossy defined for English-language learners

See glossy defined for kids

Examples of glossy in a Sentence

a plant with glossy green leaves
the glossy finish on the gym floor

Recent Examples of glossy from the Web

And for the 2016 BRIT Awards, the musician let her hair down, opting for a glossy blowout with flipped ends.

— refinery29.com, "I Got Transformed Into Adele — & This Is What I Looked Like," 11 July 2018
To give this van its lurid lemon lumps, Wurm packed different types of styrofoam and putty on top of an ordinary VW T2, and sprayed it with a glossy coat of car paint.

— shoshana wodinsky, The Verge, "We have some questions about this blobby yellow bus that dispenses free hot dogs," 11 July 2018
The 40-year-old mom of six posted an Instagram selfie with her mini-mes, all posing with matching long, blonde beach waves, similar matte makeup, long lashes and their signature glossy pouts.

— colleen kratofil, PEOPLE.com, "Seeing Triple! Kim Zolciak-Biermann and Two Daughters Are Nearly Indistinguishable in New Selfie," 11 July 2018
During the past year, the streaming giant has released seven original movies that have the glossy sheen of a 2003 romantic comedy, minus the offensive tropes.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "Netflix Is Making the Rom-Com Cool Again," 10 July 2018
At a recent casting for the Nuestra Belleza Venezuela contest, a pack of teens and 20-something women donned towering heels and coated their lips in glossy pink hues before strutting in front of judges.

— Washington Post, "In embattled Venezuela, beauty offers ladder out of poverty," 6 July 2018
Anderson oscillates between matte and glossy glazes, in a spare palette of black, white and gold.

— leah ollman, latimes.com, "The disturbing meets the sweet in Alex Anderson's new sculptures at Gavlak," 4 July 2018
After swiping through glossy images on the app, a stake in your dream car can be had for as little as $38.80.

— Fortune, "Can't Afford a Ferrari? How About Buying a Share for $80," 29 June 2018
The kitchen is wide open, and there are exposed beams, one brick wall, one glossy white-tiled wall.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Clyborne Provisions and Spirits is a suburban surprise," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glossy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of glossy

1556

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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glossy Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

Other Paper Terms

folio, palimpsest, quire, ream

glossy

noun

Definition of glossy

plural glossies

1 : a photograph printed on smooth shiny paper

2 chiefly British : slick 5

See glossy defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of glossy from the Web

No, this one had cozy chairs and only the most recent glossies on deck.

— minda honey, Longreads, "The Power in Knowing: Black Women, HIV, and the Realities of Safe Sex," 19 June 2018
These were short pieces — the 500-worders that are such a staple of the glossies.

— eva holland, Longreads, "The Writers’ Roundtable: Fiction vs. Nonfiction," 2 Apr. 2018
Pratibha Mirchandani came up in the glossies at the same time and rate as Janice Johns.

— miles marshall lewis, The Root, "(What Did I Do to Get So) Black and Blue," 18 Mar. 2018
Television appearances and bylines in glossies earned her feverish press attention in the aftermath of the royal wedding.

— kate storey, Town & Country, "The Real Reason Pippa Middleton Has Disappeared From the Spotlight," 5 Feb. 2018
Lanphear will be responsible for overseeing the Hearst glossy's fashion shoots and creative design of the fashion pages.

— stephanie chan, The Hollywood Reporter, "Kate Lanphear Named Marie Claire's Creative Director," 16 Oct. 2017
But from the boob tube to the big screen to the glossies to the Big Leagues, the fault lies not with Mother Nature or the entertainment industry’s consumers — but with the fatally self-absorbed, politically toxified stars themselves.

— michelle malkin, National Review, "Show Biz Meltdown: Bombs Away!," 20 Sep. 2017
By the ’60s, the fashion glossies were awash in modern mermaids.

— laura jacobs, WSJ, "‘Expedition: Fashion From the Extreme’ Review: Survival Couture," 19 Sep. 2017
Your autographed Peter King 8x10 glossies are in the mail.

— the mmqb staff, SI.com, "The MMQB Power Rankings Poll, Week 2: Packers, Chiefs and a Tight Vote for the Top Spot," 12 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of glossy

1928

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Pictures (on film) Terms

daguerreotype, emulsion, fill, sepia, still, stop

GLOSSY Defined for English Language Learners

glossy

adjective

Definition of glossy for English Language Learners

: having a shiny, smooth surface

glossy

noun

Definition of glossy for English Language Learners

: a photograph with a shiny surface
: a popular magazine that is printed on smooth and shiny paper

GLOSSY Defined for Kids

glossy

adjective \ ˈglä-sē , ˈglȯ- \

Definition of glossy for Students

glossier; glossiest

: having a shiny, smooth surface

glossy paint

Learn More about glossy

See words that rhyme with glossy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for glossy Spanish Central: Translation of glossy Nglish: Translation of glossy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of glossy for Arabic speakers

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glossy

Definition of glossy

glossily

glossiness

Examples of glossy in a Sentence

Recent Examples of glossy from the Web

First Known Use of glossy

glossy Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of glossy

Other Paper Terms

glossy

Definition of glossy

Recent Examples of glossy from the Web

First Known Use of glossy

Other Pictures (on film) Terms

GLOSSY Defined for English Language Learners

glossy

Definition of glossy for English Language Learners

glossy

Definition of glossy for English Language Learners

GLOSSY Defined for Kids

glossy

Definition of glossy for Students

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