Meaning & use
glossiness
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Meanings
noununcountable
The quality of having a smooth, shiny surface that reflects light.
Grammar: Uncountable: the glossiness of the paint.
Patterns
- the glossiness of something
The glossiness of the new floor made it hard to walk on.
Conditioner adds glossiness to dull hair.
She chose a photo paper for its glossiness.
noununcountablefigurative
A polished, attractive outer look that may hide less pleasant reality.
Grammar: Often figurative: the glossiness of the lifestyle.
Patterns
- the glossiness of something
Behind the glossiness of the magazine was a tired team.
The glossiness of the film hides a thin plot.
He saw past the glossiness of city life.
Common combinations
- high glossiness
- The car has high glossiness.
- add glossiness
- Oil adds glossiness to the leather.
- lose its glossiness
- The paint lost its glossiness.
- glossiness of hair
- The glossiness of her hair stood out.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shine
- Shine is the common word and can be a quick light, while glossiness describes the lasting smooth finish.
- sheen
- Sheen is a soft shine, often on fabric.
- luster
- Luster suggests a deep glow from within, as in pearls.
- polish
- Polish stresses the result of rubbing or finishing.
Opposites
Word family
- gloss noun
- shiny surface or paint
- glossy adjective
- shiny and smooth
- glossily adverb
- in a glossy way
- gloss over phrasal verb
- to hide a problem
Commonly confused: glossiness or glass?
glossiness vs glass
Glass is the material; glossiness is shine on any surface.
Practice
The photographer preferred matte paper because he disliked the ___ of cheaper prints.
Choose one answer.
Glossiness is the shiny finish typical of some prints. The other nouns do not relate to reflective surfaces.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “glossiness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.