lacy

¹ American  

[ley-see] / ˈleɪ si /

adjective

lacier, laciest

1. of or resembling lace; lacelike.

   a lacy gown; a lacy leaf.

   Synonyms:

   netlike, filigree, gossamer

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Lacy ² American  

[ley-see] / ˈleɪ si /

noun

1. a male given name.

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lacy British  

/ ˈleɪsɪ /

adjective

1. made of or resembling lace

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Other Word Forms

• lacily adverb
• laciness noun

Etymology

Origin of lacy

First recorded in 1795–1805; lace + -y ¹

Explanation

Lacy means gauzy and delicate, with small, ornate details. Think of your grandma's lacy kitchen curtains or the lacy fronds of a fern. This adjective means "like lace," that gauzy fabric that's patterned with tiny holes. You might decorate a table with lacy doilies or a lacy tablecloth, wear a long skirt with a lacy flounce at the bottom, or tidy the lacy throw pillows on a couch. This type of delicate pattern in nature is also lacy: "I love looking at the sun filtering through the lacy leaves of the big oak tree."

Example Sentences

With multiple trail options, the hillsides of this dried-up river valley are rife with vibrant blooms, particularly bush sunflowers and lacy phacelia.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Ms. Carson, who is wearing a black lacy gown, mutters, “Oh God, whatever,” as she waves her arms in exasperation.

From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2024

For the festival, Santiago donned an elaborately embroidered garment featuring yellow, black and red geometrical designs with a lacy white hem.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2024

Small, deciduous trees and shrubs, such as the contorted hazelnut or a lacy Japanese maple, live happily in containers for years and look lovely in springtime surrounded by crocus and then tulips.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 16, 2023

She set her finger on its edge, and lacy frost spirals coated the pot.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• frilly
• gauzy
• ornate
• patterned