leathery

adjective

leath·​ery ˈle-t͟hə-rē 

ˈlet͟h-rē

: resembling, characteristic of, or suggestive of leather

a leathery face

a leathery aroma

Synonyms of leathery

• tough
• brittle
• chewy

Examples of leathery in a Sentence

the old farmer's leathery, brown skin

the leathery meat served in the cafeteria drove many of us to start bringing our own lunches

Recent Examples on the Web

The singer wore a pair of low-rise leathery bright red pants with a coordinated bra top, jumping on the bra-as-top-trend that really took off during Fashion Month. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026

The original post also included an older video seemingly taken when Cardi first got the leathery brown Birkin. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026

Perched like seabirds on wobbly plastic stools, leathery and liver-spotted from hours in the sun, some smoked while others sipped packets of bandung or chrysanthemum tea. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Wilted or leathery leaves are signs of low humidity, while yellow spots on the leaves indicate fungal spotting from too much humidity. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for leathery

• feathery

Kids Definition

leathery

adjective

leath·​ery ˈlet͟h-(ə-)rē 

: resembling leather in appearance or quality : tough

a leathery face

leathery leaves