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glossiness

glossiness

1 4.1
A smooth, shiny surface that reflects light
  • noun
  • /ˈɡlɑːsɪnəs/
translation icon : brillo
  • The glossiness of the magazine cover attracted many readers at the store.

Examples

  • She had combed out her hair fully, and it fell in a full cascade over her shoulders and partly down her back, the ebony glossiness contrasting sharply with the pale yellow of her dress.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • But it's slightly pushed in terms of the glossiness and the translucence.

  • The lips feel dry now, so you take this on top and you will actually see kind of a glossiness on your lips.

  • And this will add the kind of glossiness to the eyelids, I suppose.

  • He acquired a natural glossiness in public.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • So it almost adds extra glossiness to it, but I think it complements the glossy skin really well.

  • Beard glossiness!

  • Cardboard thoughts, widow skin surfaces, east walls of glossiness, an approximately deloused angel; we must all laugh.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The occasions are numerous on which we paged through Femina, Fair Lady, Cosmopolitan, Home Garden, and Car, as if somehow we were going to surround our lives with the glossiness in the magazines.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The glossiness of the polished marble floor made the room look elegant.

Synonyms

sheen
vsglossiness
48 4.2

A soft, smooth shine on a surface that looks healthy or attractive

is a more general smooth shine, not specifically soft or subtle
gloss
vsglossiness
24 3.8

A smooth shiny appearance on a surface

is the overall quality of smooth shine rather than specific finishes
polish
vsglossiness
7 3.7

The state of being smooth and shiny

describes the underlying smooth shine, not the act that creates it
shininess
vsglossiness
1 2.0

How bright and smooth a surface is when it sends back light

focuses on smooth shiny quality rather than only reflection amount
silkiness
vsglossiness
1 3.2

A smooth, soft, shiny feeling like silk against the skin

focuses on visual light reflection rather than soft texture
high-gloss shine
vsglossiness
5.0

A very shiny smooth surface that reflects light brightly

is the normal smooth shine without extreme mirror-like reflectiveness
specularity
vsglossiness
  • Specialized
9.4

How much a surface reflects light and looks shiny

is the broader smooth shine, not limited to mirror reflections
gleaming
vsglossiness
3.2

A bright shine made when light bounces off a surface

describes steady smooth shine rather than brief or intense brightness
sleekness
vsglossiness
4.3

A smooth, shiny surface like silk that feels pleasant to touch

centres on light reflection and visible shine rather than tactile smoothness
burnish
vsglossiness
7.7

A smooth, shiny surface created by polishing

is the general smooth reflective quality, not necessarily created by polishing
glassiness
vsglossiness
6.0

A smooth, shiny, brittle look or feel like glass

is about smooth shine without implying hardness or fragility
waxy appearance
vsglossiness
5.9

A smooth, shiny look on skin or other surfaces like a candle

is the general smooth shine without the oily or wax-like look

Antonyms

4 3.4

The way a surface feels when it is not smooth

1 2.2

A surface that is not bright or shiny

How Shiny

mirror
775 1.0
glossiness
1 4.1
gloss
24 3.8
sheen
48 4.2

Surface Forms

glossiness singular
glossinesses plural

Morphology

glossiness = glossy (transparent) = gloss + iness

The formation from 'glossy' to 'glossiness' is straightforward, indicating a state or quality.

Etymology

Glossiness comes from the simple word gloss, which means 'shine', plus the ending -ness that makes it a 'quality'. So glossiness is the 'smooth and shiny' quality that makes a car or floor reflect light.