🗣️ Rich-sounding voice 🌟 Very desirable

plummy

1 8.8

A rich, smooth voice that sounds like upper-class speech

adjective
/ˈplʌmi/

: afectado

Now in the morning, the guns echoed over the city, and a plummy BBC voice sounded over a Bush radio in the remnants of a tailor's shop: "Elements of the Indian Para Brigade are said to be in the outskirts of Sylhet."
plummy voice
plummy accent

Examples

The actor's plummy enunciation captivated the audience during his performance.
I think Ronald Colman in Mister Chips projects some of his plummy sincerity.

Blog text (32)
The slightly plummy voice had fallen silent, and Beth, tasting and adjusting, realized she was being less than polite.

Fiction book (1995)
His plummy chuckle was left to wither and perish under the blaze of Lady Battle-Purfitt's scornful look.

Fiction book (1994)
He spoke with a plummy accent that hinted at his privileged upbringing.
"Don't you think this is a good idea?" she asked in her charming, plummy voice.

Synonyms

upper-crusty

vsplummy

Offensive

1 9.3

Showing the attitude of a rich person who thinks they are better than others

focuses on a rich mellow vocal sound often perceived as affected by class

Antonyms

harsh

47 3.9

Very strong and unpleasant to the senses, like bright light or bitter taste

grating

1 6.2

A harsh, unpleasant sound or voice that is hard to listen to

How Mellow

plummy

1 8.8

mellow

46 3.9

rich

36 2.3

thin

221 5.2

Surface Forms

plummy positive

Morphology

plummy = plum (opaque) = plum + y

The meaning of 'plummy' as a descriptor for a voice is not directly derivable from 'plum' + 'y'.

Etymology

Plummy comes from the fruit plum plus the ending -y, where -y means 'full of'. A plum is rich and soft, so a 'plummy' voice is imagined as rich, smooth and a little rounded, sometimes sounding upper-class. So, thinking of a ripe plum helps you remember a 'plummy' voice is deep and mellow.