smoky

adjective

ˈsmō-kē 

variants or less commonly smokey

smokier; smokiest

1

: emitting smoke especially in large quantities

a smoky fireplace

2

a

: having the characteristics of or resembling smoke

a smoky haze

b

: suggestive of smoke especially in flavor or odor

3

a

: filled with smoke

a smoky room

b

: made dark or black by or as if by smoke

4

: having a low throaty quality

a smoky voice

smokily

ˈsmō-kə-lē 

adverb

smokiness

ˈsmō-kē-nəs 

noun

Examples of smoky in a Sentence

Her dress was a smoky blue.

Her smoky voice drew me in.

She gave him a smoky look.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now a searing guitar line held forth, but only briefly before giving way to an elegantly swinging piano and sax, as if the song had walked off the street and into a smoky jazz club. —Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025

The rich, creamy dip has a base of cream cheese and Cheddar, with smoky elements from bacon, freshness from green onions, and a bit of crunch from almonds. —Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2025

Try double dipping these chips into the actual Chick-fil-A sauce for a smoky combo. —Logan Holland, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025

The spiced, smoky sausage infuses olive oil with its flavor to permeate throughout the dish, which is complemented by the peaches’ sweetness. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing smoky

• smoky quartz
• smoky topaz

Rhymes for smoky

• cloche
• gnocchi
• loci
• pokey
• smokey
• karaoke

Kids Definition

smoky

adjective

variants also smokey

ˈsmō-kē 

smokier; smokiest

1

: giving off smoke especially in large quantities

smoky stoves

2

: resembling or suggestive of smoke

a smoky flavor

3

: filled with or darkened by smoke

a smoky room

smokily

-kə-lē 

adverb

smokiness

-kē-nəs 

noun