chalky
Americanadjective
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of or like chalk.
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of a chalklike consistency.
chalky soil.
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without resonance, color, warmth, etc..
several high tones that were quite chalky.
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Photography. lacking in detail, due to extreme contrast.
a chalky print.
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Sports Slang. relating to the competitor considered most likely to win by the oddsmakers.
Sports betting is boring if all you make are chalky picks—put some money on a long shot and live a little!
Other Word Forms
- chalkiness noun
- nonchalky adjective
- unchalky adjective
Etymology
Origin of chalky
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English chalki, chalky; chalk, -y 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The tournament is so chalky that the real surprise is that Ezekowitz’s model doesn’t have any upsets that exceed a 50% win probability for the first time in 15 years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
One example is the River Wandle, which emerges from chalky springs in Carshalton Ponds, south-east London, near Festival Walk.
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026
"We're connecting tiny chalky organisms to planetary carbon flows," says Dr. Guerreiro.
From Science Daily • Oct. 10, 2025
“Sometimes, it can be a little more dry and the ball can feel a little more chalky, for sure.”
From Seattle Times • Apr. 5, 2024
The cupboard doors, the sink, the chairs...there’s chalky whiteness everywhere.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
