silvery

adjective sil·very \ ˈsil-v(ə-)rē \

Definition of silvery

1 :having the luster of silver

2 :having a soft high clear musical tone

a silvery voice

3 :containing or consisting of silver

—

silveriness

noun

See silvery defined for English-language learners

See silvery defined for kids

Examples of silvery in a Sentence

a pond full of silvery fish
a dress of silvery gray silk
Silvery light reflected off the water.
The violinist played with a bright, silvery tone.
a singer with a beautiful silvery voice

Recent Examples of silvery from the Web

In one pop-up garden in Philadelphia’s center city, old galvanized washtubs, aged to a soft, silvery gray, have been repurposed as planters full of roses.

— marty ross, kansascity, "Pop-up gardens burst with ideas for a backyard vacation," 19 Aug. 2017
Suddenly, all that beautiful thyme and silvery sage—usually reserved for cooking—is fair game.

— ashley mason, Bon Appetit, "How to Make Super Flavorful Iced Tea at Home," 14 Aug. 2017
Fine, silvery webbing appearing on the bark of area trees and large shrubs is harmless.

— NOLA.com, "This weeks gardening tips: ginger plant support, blackberry canes, and more," 29 July 2017
This thin, silvery lava can flow faster than a person can run.

— michael greshko, National Geographic, "'Mountain of God' Volcano Preparing to Erupt," 13 July 2017
Jimmy Heath, 90, is one of jazz’s most revered living composers, and the band often draws upon his bright, silvery originals.

— New York Times, "Pop, Rock and Jazz in NYC This Week," 6 July 2017
The latter does resemble globe thistle, but is much larger and the blue hue of the foliage/blossoms is paler, even silvery.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Start perennials from seed now and save on your gardening costs," 5 July 2017
Another Delta native fish, the small and silvery Delta smelt, is so near extinction that scientists talk of freezing samples to preserve its genes.

— ellen knickmeyer, The Seattle Times, "Can California fish catch break with giant tunnels? Depends," 1 July 2017
Another Delta native fish, the small and silvery Delta smelt, is so near extinction that scientists talk of freezing samples to preserve its genes.

— Washington Post, "Can California fish catch break with giant tunnels? Depends," 1 July 2017

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

First Known Use of silvery

14th century

silvery Synonyms

Synonyms

argentine, grayish, leaden, pewter, silver, gray, slate, slaty (also slatey), steely

Related Words

achromatic, colorless, neutral; dirty, dull, faded, sad, washed-out; ashen, ashy, chalky, livid, mousy (or mousey), pale, palish, white, whitish; chocolate, dun, sandy, sepia; brindled (or brindle), grizzled, hoar, hoary

Near Antonyms

ablaze, bright, deep, gay, rich; chromatic, colored; colorful, motley, multicolored, polychromatic, polychrome, varicolored, variegated

SILVERY Defined for English Language Learners

silvery

adjective

Definition of silvery for English Language Learners

: shiny and white or light gray in color like silver
of sound : high, clear, soft, and pleasant

SILVERY Defined for Kids

silvery

adjective sil·very \ ˈsil-və-rē \

Definition of silvery for Students

:shiny and medium gray

a silvery fish

Learn More about silvery

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for silvery Spanish Central: Translation of silvery Nglish: Translation of silvery for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of silvery for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up silvery? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

silvery

Definition of silvery

silveriness

From the M-W Editors

Examples of silvery in a Sentence

Recent Examples of silvery from the Web

First Known Use of silvery

silvery Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

SILVERY Defined for English Language Learners

silvery

Definition of silvery for English Language Learners

SILVERY Defined for Kids

silvery

Definition of silvery for Students

Learn More about silvery

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066