smoky

adjective

variants also smokey
Definition of smokynext
1
as in hoarse

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in sooty

Related Words

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 There is also a chance that a faint smoky smell will be in the air, the weather service said. — Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026 Everyone lauded the Cubs for putting on a great party, and despite smoky, sweaty weather in Chicago, the city was at its mid-July peak, with Wrigley in its summer finest. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 Canadian wildfires are severely impacting air quality in much of the United States right now, and the resulting smoky haze isn’t just a health concern. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 20 July 2026 Woodford Reserve or Johnnie Walker Blue makes more sense after the plate has been cleared, carrying the meal’s smoky notes into the next course. — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 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
  • The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.
    — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
  • Others walked home sunburned, hoarse and still dressed in blue and orange.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 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
  • 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
  • The extravagant, hi-NRG single showcased the breadth of Tyler’s husky grandeur, which proved a perfect fit for Giorgio Moroder.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
Definition of husky
Adjective
  • 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
  • The processing appears slightly smudgy in some areas, and the results lack fine details.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 2 June 2026
Definition of smudgy
Adjective
  • Matt Damon plays Odysseus as a gruff, practical tactician, rather than an energetically inventive and morally dubious schemer.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • The New Zealander drew international acclaim for roles as gruff loners and unhinged villains.
    — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
Definition of gruff
Adjective
  • Bannister Road has been rough to drive on for seemingly years.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • The relationship between the two had been rough for a while, and Traci was excited to build a new life for herself independent of her husband.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
Definition of rough

Browse Nearby Words

smoking out
smoky
smolder
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smoky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoky. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on smoky

Nglish: Translation of smoky for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All