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crackly

crackly

4.2
Having many small cracks on the surface, like old paint or dry mud
  • adjective
  • /ˈkrækli/
translation icon : agrietado
  • After years of exposure to the sun, the walls became crackly and chipped.

Examples

  • Now let's go back in and add those little crackly details.

  • The crackly surface of the old painting added to its charm and character.

  • She loved the sound of the crackly leaves underfoot during her autumn walk.

Synonyms

cracked
vscrackly
2.0

Surface with small splits from dryness or damage

focuses on many tiny surface breaks or only the look of being broken
cracky
vscrackly
8.7

Having many thin broken lines on the surface or describing someone slightly odd

refers specifically to a surface covered in many fine fractures or only appearing so

Antonyms

256 1.0

A surface that is even and not rough

3.4

Whole and with no breaks in the surface

How Cracked

crackly
4.2
smooth
256 1.0

Surface Forms

crackly positive

Morphology

crackly = crack (transparent) = crack + ly

The adjective describing a surface with many fine cracks is a straightforward application of 'crack' + '-ly' meaning 'having cracks' or 'full of cracks'.

Etymology

Crackly also comes from the word crack, meaning a small 'break', plus -ly, and is used for surfaces that look broken into many tiny parts. So crackly describes finishes like old paint or pottery glaze that are covered with fine cracks.