Meaning & use
semisolid
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Thick and firm like a paste or gel, but not completely hard or rigid.
Grammar: Describes a substance; it does not usually take -er/-est.
Patterns
- semisolid substance
- semisolid state
- semisolid material
The mixture became semisolid after cooling in the refrigerator.
A semisolid paste is easier to spread than a liquid.
The patient was given semisolid food after the surgery.
nouncountable
A substance that is thick and partly solid, such as a gel or paste.
Grammar: Countable; plural semisolids.
Patterns
- a semisolid
- semisolids
The lab studies how semisolids flow under pressure.
The product is a semisolid that melts at body temperature.
Semisolids like toothpaste are common in daily life.
Word forms
| plural | semisolids |
|---|
Common combinations
- semisolid substance
- The semisolid substance oozed slowly from the container.
- semisolid state
- The material is in a semisolid state at room temperature.
- semisolid food
- Patients on a soft diet can eat semisolid food.
- semisolid mass
- The mixture formed a semisolid mass.
Synonyms and how they differ
- viscous
- Viscous describes a thick liquid that flows slowly; semisolid is firmer and holds its shape more.
- gel-like
- Gel-like is a descriptive phrase; semisolid is the technical term for a state between solid and liquid.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
Which substance is best described as semisolid?
Choose one answer.
Toothpaste is thick and holds its shape somewhat but is not fully rigid, so it is semisolid. Water is liquid, steel is solid, and air is gas.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “semisolid”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.