Meaning & use
mattify
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To make the skin or a surface look dull and non-shiny, especially by reducing oil on the face.
Grammar: Takes an object: this powder will mattify your skin.
Patterns
- mattify something
- mattify your skin
This primer will mattify oily skin for the whole day.
She dabbed powder on her nose to mattify it.
A good cleanser can mattify the T-zone.
verbtransitivetechnical
To give paint, varnish or another coating a flat finish without any gloss.
Grammar: Takes an object: they mattified the varnish with an additive.
Patterns
- mattify a surface
The painter added a powder to mattify the glossy finish.
You can mattify the lacquer by sanding it lightly.
The company makes an additive to mattify plastics.
Word forms
| third person singular | mattifies |
|---|---|
| past tense | mattified |
| past participle | mattified |
| -ing form | mattifying |
Common combinations
- mattify the skin
- The cream is designed to mattify the skin without drying it.
- mattify oily skin
- Clay masks help mattify oily skin.
- mattifying powder
- She keeps a mattifying powder in her bag.
- mattifying primer
- A mattifying primer helps makeup last longer.
- mattifying effect
- The mattifying effect lasts for about six hours.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dull
- Dull is a general word for taking away shine, but in makeup it can sound negative, whereas mattify sounds like a desired result.
- powder
- To powder is to apply loose or pressed powder, which is one method of mattifying and not the same as the result.
- de-shine
- De-shine is more informal and mostly appears in beauty tips, while mattify is the standard product term.
Opposites
Word family
- matte adjective
- having a flat, non-shiny surface
- mattifying adjective
- designed to remove shine
- mattifier noun
- a product that mattifies
- mattification noun
- the process of making something matte
Commonly confused: mattify or matte? mattify or mat?
mattify vs matte
Matte is the adjective for a flat finish, while mattify is the verb meaning to produce that finish.
mattify vs mat
A mat is a piece of floor covering; the single-t spelling does not mean a dull finish.
Practice
Which product would you use to mattify a shiny forehead?
Choose one answer.
Oil-absorbing powder removes shine, which is what mattify means. Highlighter, gloss and oil all add shine.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mattify”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.