glossy

Everyday

1. Glossy means smooth and shiny, so it reflects light. tree →
2. A glossy magazine or photo is printed on shiny paper and often looks expensive. tree →
3. Glossy can also mean looking attractive on the outside, sometimes hiding something less good. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life it describes healthy animal fur, hair, paint, leaves and photos. In art and science, a glossy surface reflects light like a mirror, while a matt surface scatters it. In media lessons, glossy adverts and magazines are made to look perfect, so readers should think about what is real. Phrases: glossy hair, glossy coat, glossy paper, glossy paint, glossy magazine.

Examples

• The puppy had a glossy black coat. tree →
• Holly leaves are dark green and glossy. tree →
• We printed the class photos on glossy paper. tree →
• Dad painted the door with glossy white paint. tree →
• Mum bought a glossy magazine at the station. tree →
• A glossy advert can make a toy look better than it really is. tree →
• After the rain, the pebbles on the beach looked glossy. tree →
• Immediately a beautiful golden star appeared on her forehead, crowning her glossy black hair. tree →

Note

Comparative glossier, superlative glossiest (y becomes i). The opposite of glossy is «matt» (UK) or «matte» (US), meaning not shiny. Lip gloss and nail gloss come from the same word «gloss» (shine).

In Jewish tradition

Smooth and shining. Isaiah uses it for a tall people with smooth skin, usually read as the people of Cush.

Interpretation. The tradition reads this verse as God sending messengers to a distant, mighty nation, and sees Cush as one that will one day honor God too.

Examples

• Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation tall and of glossy skin, to a people terrible from their beginning onward; a nation that is sturdy and treadeth down, whose land the rivers divide! (Prophets ISA.18.2, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Comparative glossier, superlative glossiest (y becomes i). The opposite of glossy is «matt» (UK) or «matte» (US), meaning not shiny. Lip gloss and nail gloss come from the same word «gloss» (shine).