adjective
also rop·ey ˈrōpē, -pi
( ropier ; ropiest )
Etymology: Middle English ropy, from rope (I) + -y
1.
a. : capable of being drawn into a thread : viscous , glutinous
a ropy froth had dried on his lips — John Bennett
b. : having a gelatinous quality (as milk) or slimy quality (as bread or flour) from bacterial or fungal contamination
c. of a paint : having a quality or characteristic that causes it to act stringy under the brush and not level out properly
2. : resembling rope: as
a. : long, gnarled, and often roughly fibrous
their ropy vines twisted around strands of wire strung between five-foot stakes — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
b. : muscular , sinewy
a scrawny Yankee with a cloth cap and a ropy neck — Nancy Hale
3. usually ropey , slang : extremely unsatisfactory or inauspicious