grainier; grainiest
1
: resembling or having some characteristic of grain : not smooth or fine
2
of a photograph : appearing to be composed of grain-like particles
graininess noun

Examples of grainy in a Sentence

The mustard has a grainy texture. grainy sand kept it off the rankings as one of the nation's best beaches
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, the dark, grainy cinematography and gloriously creepy music (thank you, Lalo Schifrin) crank the fear factor up to 11. Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025 Max Schreck’s uncanny performance and makeup design were absolutely mesmerizing, as was the film’s unparalleled haunting atmosphere, made all the more palpable by the grainy 16mm transfer to VHS. Robert Eggers, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 Trump, as well as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, posted grainy footage of the strike on social media. Callum Sutherland, Time, 15 Oct. 2025 The grainy video, which appears to be from a camera across the street from the scene of the shooting near West Mill Road and North 47th Street, shows the off-duty officer and Wilks approach one another. David Clarey, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grainy

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

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Cite this Entry

“Grainy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grainy. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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