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clammy

clammy

21 3.5
A little damp, slightly sticky, and cool in a way that feels unpleasant
  • adjective
  • /ˈklæmi/
translation icon : húmedo
  • His breath came in shallow pants, and his clammy, pallid skin sweated a cold, feverless sweat.
  • clammy hands
  • cold and clammy

She was sitting down, palms clammy, breathing weirdly.

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Examples

  • For the last time, will you please keep your clammy hands to yourself?

  • His back, beneath his shirt and jacket, was clammy with perspiration.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • My hands are clammy and cold.

  • Fog, with the clammy feel of something dead, moved in from the sea.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Her wrist felt cold, clammy, and yet her pulse was normal.

  • You look clammy.

  • She was sitting down, palms clammy, breathing weirdly.

  • Still, I hesitated, palms clammy, body cold in spite of the balmy night.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • " Academy Award, Buzzy." "I really don't wanna do this." Buzzy's thick, clammy fingers gripped my forearm.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Her palms were clammy after waiting nervously for the interview.

Synonyms

damp
vsclammy
113 1.0

Slightly wet and often uncomfortable

is sticky and cool in addition to being only slightly wet
moist
vsclammy
105 1.0

Slightly wet in a pleasant or suitable way

is unpleasantly damp and cool rather than pleasantly slightly wet
humid
vsclammy
45 1.0

Air that has a lot of water and feels damp

is cool and sticky to touch rather than describing moist air
slimy
vsclammy
42 2.5

Covered in a wet, slippery layer, like on fish or rocks

is damp and cool without a thick slippery coating
icky
vsclammy
  • Informal
38 7.1

Sticky and unpleasant to touch or smell

is specifically cool and damp rather than a general disgust feeling
dank
vsclammy
18 6.2

An unpleasantly damp, cool place that smells musty

is used for touch sensations on the body rather than for places
tacky
vsclammy
  • Specialized
4 4.9

Not completely dry and slightly sticky to the touch

is cool and unpleasant rather than merely slightly undried
gooky
vsclammy
  • Informal
1 8.8

Sticky and messy with a soft unpleasant covering

is damp and cool rather than messy and coated with goo
dampish
vsclammy
5.7

A little wet and not completely dry

is milder and less unpleasant and lacks the cool stickiness
wettish
vsclammy
4.5

A little wet, like after rain or dew

is more unpleasant and cool rather than being only slightly wet

Antonyms

1.0

Having a comfortable level of heat, often after recent use

dry
791 1.0

Not wet or without any liquid

Compounds

A small wild plant with sticky, slightly wet leaves that grows in shady, wet places

9.9

A small tree in the southeastern United States with rough bark, pink flowers and sticky branches

How Damp

wet
800 1.0
clammy
21 3.5
damp
113 1.0
moist
105 1.0
dry
791 1.0

Surface Forms

clammy positive

Etymology

Clammy comes from an old word clam that meant 'sticky' or 'moist', so it describes skin or things that feel damp and seem to 'cling' to the touch.