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 Look for notes of black pepper, vanilla, citrus, and maple over an assertive, smoky base made up of flavors like iodine, seaweed, campfire, and licorice, and just a touch of heat on the finish at 46 percent ABV. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026 That warm, toasty scent hangs in the air at Masa y Taza, combined with the deep, smoky aromas of chorizo. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 For the pivotal evening, Lowen forgoes her woodsy natural look and returns to her big-city smoky eyes and a sultry dark lip (a mix of Dior Addict Lip Glow Balms in Mahogany and Blackberry). — Fawnia Soo Hoo, Allure, 5 Oct. 2026 Walnut, aged brass, honed marble, and linen textiles also stand out beautifully against its dark, smoky presence. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 1 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
  • 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
  • Singers didn’t want their voices to get hoarse over the long night or week.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 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
  • 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
  • Tyler, after a brief recovery period, returned to the recording studio with a huskier, edgier voice.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 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
  • Over three decades in stand-up comedy, Bill Burr has gained a reputation for saying, with gruff conviction and political fire, the thing on everyone’s mind.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • We were taught by a gruff cockney called Fred Waring, who had participated in the D-Day landings in a regiment that had fought its way across Europe towards Berlin and liberated the concentration camp at Belsen.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of gruff
Adjective
  • Lemmo With this kind of kit, the Lemmo 3 should be up to the task of tackling steep inclines and all manner of rough terrain.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The controls and graphics are pretty rough on GameCube, though.
    — Verge Staff, The Verge, 6 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 12 Oct. 2026.

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