waxlike

5.2

Pale, smooth, slightly shiny, and a little see-through

adjective
/ˈwækslaɪk/

: ceroso

He admired the waxlike sheen of the sculpture, which gave it an ethereal quality.

Examples

The candle burned, casting a soft light over the room and highlighting its waxlike texture.
While the waxlike man had watched the scene in horror, Myrmeen had withdrawn her sword, scrambled back over the debris to put some distance between herself and the creature, and thrown her sword at the pale man's head.

Fiction book (1992)
The patient's skin had a waxlike appearance, making her look pale and fragile.

Synonyms

glassy

vswaxlike

9 3.9

A surface that is smooth and shiny like glass

tends toward pale, softer translucence rather than hard clear shine

waxy

vswaxlike

4 4.5

Having pale skin that looks like wax

emphasizes pale, smooth, or translucent look beyond just skin use

waxen

vswaxlike

Archaic

1 7.7

Made of the soft material used for candles or having a pale, smooth face

focuses on pale, smooth, or translucent look rather than only skin tone

glassine

vswaxlike

1 8.5

Having a smooth, shiny, and slightly see-through surface like glass

is similar but stresses pale, soft translucence rather than pure gloss

glass-like

vswaxlike

1 3.8

It looks and feels like smooth clear glass

is about pale, smooth, or soft translucence rather than hard clarity

Antonyms

rough

164 1.0

Not smooth and often harsh in sound

dull

31 1.0

Not bright or shiny with weak colour

How Waxy

lustrous

9 5.3

waxlike

5.2

smooth

256 1.0

Surface Forms

waxlike positive

Morphology

waxlike = wax (transparent) = wax + like

The adjective is formed directly from the noun 'wax' with the relational suffix '-like', and the meaning 'resembling wax' is straightforward.

Etymology

Waxlike comes from the parts wax and -like, meaning 'like wax'. The wax part names the soft, pale material used for candles and figures, so a waxlike face looks smooth, pale, and almost lifeless.