I. gloss ‧ y 1 /ˈɡlɒsi $ ˈɡlɒːsi, ˈɡlɑːsi/ BrE AmE adjective
1 . shiny and smooth:
her glossy black hair
the glossy surface of the leaves
2 . glossy magazine/brochure etc a magazine etc printed on good quality shiny paper, usually with lots of colour pictures
3 . something that is glossy has an attractive appearance on the surface that may hide something less pleasant:
a glossy election campaign
—glossiness noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
▪ shiny looking bright and smooth, and reflecting light:
Her hair was now washed and shiny.
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A shiny limousine pulled in front of the building.
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His face was shiny with sweat.
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shiny metal objects
▪ glossy used about hair or fur that looks shiny and healthy. Glossy magazines and books use expensive shiny paper:
My hair seemed much thicker and more glossy.
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His fur is all glossy.
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The plant's leaves were still glossy.
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He was flicking through a glossy magazine.
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glossy brochures advertising skiing vacations
▪ sleek shiny and smooth in a way that looks very attractive – used especially about hair, fur, a car or machine, or about someone's body :
the cat's sleek fur
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His sleek dark-blue Mercedes was parked outside.
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I looked at the sleek brown bodies resting beside the pool.
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the sleek lines of a Bang and Olufsen television
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A small jet waited like a sleek silver bird beside the runway.
▪ silky very soft and smooth to touch, like silk – used about hair, fur, skin, or material:
Her skirt and jacket were made of smooth, silky fabric.
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Fernando stroked her silky hair and kissed her forehead.
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her silky skin
▪ gleaming very shiny and clean – used especially about something that has just been polished:
A gleaming motorcycle stood parked outside the bar.
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his gleaming white teeth
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gleaming black shoes
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The tourist brochures show gleaming white sand.
▪ glistening literary something that is glistening is shiny, especially because it is wet:
her glistening eyes
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I recognized his dark glistening skin.
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We stared at the glistening expanse of the sea.
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the glistening white of the dome
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the glistening black heads of the seals
▪ lustrous literary shining in a soft gentle way – used about hair, eyes, lips, or material:
Her hair was thick and lustrous.
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His eyes were dark and lustrous.
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her lustrous lips
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the fabric's smooth lustrous surface
▪ polished polished shoes, floors, tables etc are shiny because they have been rubbed until they shine:
a highly polished floor
II. glossy 2 BrE AmE noun ( plural glossies ) [countable usually plural]
1 . ( also glossy magazine ) British English a magazine that is printed on good-quality shiny paper, usually with lots of colour pictures
2 . a photograph printed on shiny paper