Meaning & use
pitchy
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Meanings
adjectivecomparablemusic
(Of a voice or musical note) not steady or slightly off the correct pitch.
Grammar: Gradable: you can say 'pitchier' and 'pitchiest'.
Patterns
- sound pitchy
- a pitchy note
- sing pitchy
Her high notes sounded a little pitchy in the chorus.
The recording is pitchy, so the melody is hard to follow.
He sang pitchy at first but improved after warming up.
adjectivecomparable
Covered with or containing pitch, a thick black sticky substance.
Grammar: Usually used before a noun: 'pitchy wood'.
Patterns
- pitchy wood
- pitchy hands
The pitchy logs burned with a dark smoke.
His pitchy hands left black marks on the door.
Word forms
| comparative | pitchier |
|---|---|
| superlative | pitchiest |
Common combinations
- sound pitchy
- The chorus sounded pitchy on the live recording.
- a pitchy note
- One pitchy note spoiled an otherwise lovely song.
- go pitchy
- His voice tends to go pitchy when he is nervous.
- pitchy black
- The cave walls were pitchy black.
Synonyms and how they differ
- off-key
- Very close in music; 'off-key' means wrong notes, while 'pitchy' often means unsteady or slightly sharp or flat.
- shaky
- Describes an unsteady voice in general; 'pitchy' specifically concerns musical pitch.
- tarry
- Means covered with tar, a similar sticky substance; use 'pitchy' only for pitch.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: pitchy or peachy? pitchy or patchy?
pitchy vs peachy
Sounds similar but means 'very good' or 'like a peach'; it has nothing to do with pitch.
pitchy vs patchy
Means uneven in quality or coverage, not off in musical pitch.
Practice
The singer's last note was a bit ______, so the audience winced.
Choose one answer.
'Pitchy' describes a note that is unsteady or slightly off pitch, which fits the audience's reaction. 'Peachy' means excellent, 'patchy' means uneven in quality, and 'pitch' is a noun or verb, not an adjective here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pitchy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.