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 adverb
smokiness 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 In the post, Lively launched oak smoked lemonade and apple ginger sour cherry mocktails and smoky pineapple tequila and oak smoked lemonade bourbon cocktails. Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 That willingness to shock sets Love Lies Bleeding apart from a lot of other neo-noirs, where cool, smoky restraint is the norm. David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 The black dress had a dazzling flamenco-meets-goth feel, made even more glamorous by Cardi's '90s-supermodel hair and smoky eyes. Marci Robin, Allure, 11 Mar. 2024 In the final measures of the third piece, four-note chords jangle against the elemental fifth of C and G, each giving off a smoky, sassy vibe. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 The sweet and smoky comeback sauce, a Southern favorite, works great as a dip, sandwich spread, or salad dressing, so make extra, which will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024 Kelly Ripa Keeps Her Funeral Dress Labeled so Mark Consuelos Doesn't Dress Her in Something 'Crazy' Ripa's hair was styled in low, bouncy curls and her beauty moment was topped off with smoky eye makeup. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Rosenthal samples thick slices of smoky hot pastrami slathered with robust mustard on pumpernickel bread. Laura Manske, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Flavors of blackberries and sage mingle with smoky mineral notes. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smoky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of smoky was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near smoky

Cite this Entry

“Smoky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smoky. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

smoky

adjective
variants also smokey
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 adverb
smokiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on smoky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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