Meaning & use
gloopy
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Meaning
adjectivecomparableinformal
Thick, wet and sticky in an unappealing way, like badly cooked porridge or paint.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after a verb: a gloopy sauce, the sauce looks gloopy; gloopier, gloopiest.
Patterns
- gloopy with something
The gravy turned gloopy after sitting on the stove.
He stirred the gloopy paint until it was smooth.
The soup was cold and gloopy by the time we ate it.
Word forms
| comparative | gloopier |
|---|---|
| superlative | gloopiest |
Common combinations
- gloopy sauce
- The gloopy sauce clung to the pasta in clumps.
- gloopy mixture
- Stir the gloopy mixture until it thins.
- thick and gloopy
- The custard was thick and gloopy.
- gloopy texture
- I dislike the gloopy texture of overcooked oatmeal.
- get gloopy
- If you add too much flour, the batter will get gloopy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gooey
- Gooey is softer and often pleasant, as with melted cheese or brownies, while gloopy is usually unappealing.
- gluey
- Gluey suggests something that sticks like glue, whereas gloopy stresses a thick, wet look.
- sludgy
- Sludgy suggests dirty, heavy muck, while gloopy is more often used for food and paint.
- viscous
- Viscous is a neutral scientific word for thick liquids and is much more formal than gloopy.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: gloopy or gloppy?
gloopy vs gloppy
Gloppy is an alternative spelling, mainly American, with the same meaning as gloopy.
Practice
Which word best describes a sauce that has become thick and sticky in an unappealing way?
Choose one answer.
Gloopy describes thick, sticky liquids. Crisp and brittle describe dry solid foods, and fizzy describes drinks with bubbles.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gloopy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.