smoky

adjective

variants also smokey
Definition of smokynext
1
as in hoarse

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in sooty

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of smoky That particular task includes an impromptu duet from Animashaun and Nash, who get up on stage — designed to resemble a smoky, basement comedy club in Soho — and serenade this very game audience. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2026 The brisket came with a smoky taste and the rajas added a peppery flavor that had a kick but wasn’t too spicy. — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026 Achieving such multitudes was a practice of refinement over many months, nailing the balance between wood, gourmand, and smokey facets, while still ensuring the final result wasn’t too heavy. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 From smoky, spirit-forward drinks to warming spices and frightening garnishes, cocktails in October have a little extra mystery. — Angela Hansberger, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for smoky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoky
  1. hoarse
  2. sooty
  3. husky
  4. smudgy
  5. gruff
  6. rough
Adjective
  • His voice sounded hoarse from his marathon of back-to-back rallies ahead of Election Day.
    — Shahrzad Rasekh Patrick Cooley Mark Bonamo Kevin Williams, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Now life was like that; some days fine and firm and full of whatever, while other days the hoarse bark of the neighbors’ dog or a friend’s grim diagnosis and her body succumbed to an emotional gravity that pulled her into a free fall.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of hoarse
Adjective
  • Oily, sooty residue was all over the city.
    — Arundathi Nair, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
  • By the closer — a grim, sooty final reckoning with the events of June 13 — the colourful escapism of the Uphaar’s Bollywood posters suddenly looks half a world away.
    — Mike McCahill, Variety, 17 Jan. 2023
Definition of sooty
Adjective
  • Gomez, who has a noticeably husky, raspy voice at times, answered a fan question about her vocal quirkiness during an Instagram Live session last December.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Her husky voice made Pugh, as an up-and-comer, seem wise beyond her years in breakout roles as a Machiavellian teenage bride in Lady Macbeth and an actor turned spy in The Little Drummer Girl.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of husky
Adjective
  • Lasting more than 10 minutes, the image begins eviscerated of scale and depth before slowly recovering a figure-ground relationship — from a smudgy surface to be contemplated to an image of a body moving through a landscape.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • These tones were integral to Theron’s smudgy eyeliner at the London premiere and Hathaway’s smoky eye look at the Paris premiere.
    — Lauren Valenti, InStyle, 17 July 2026
Definition of smudgy
Adjective
  • Loneliness looms as a threat to all genders, but men, who are lauded for gruff stoicism and scorned for vulnerability, can be especially ill-equipped to navigate atomization.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • His reputation for having a gruff demeanor, Sweet says, is accurate, but attack ads that portray him as antagonistic toward women go too far.
    — Julia Terruso, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of gruff
Adjective
  • The Pistons have raced out to a hot start, while the Knicks are still searching for answers after a rough opening week.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Molcajetes constructed of lava rock with pits creating a rough and not smooth nor easily cleanable surface were in the facility.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of rough

Browse Nearby Words

smoking out
smoky
smolder
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Cite this Entry

“Smoky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoky. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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