milky

American  

[mil-kee] / ˈmɪl ki /

adjective

milkier, milkiest

1. of or like milk, especially in appearance or consistency.

2. white or whitish in color.

3. giving a good supply of milk.

4. meek, tame, timid, or spiritless.

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milky British  

/ ˈmɪlkɪ /

adjective

1. resembling milk, esp in colour or cloudiness

2. of or containing milk

3. spiritless or spineless

4. Judaism another word for milchik

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Other Word Forms

• milkily adverb
• milkiness noun

Etymology

Origin of milky

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at milk, -y ¹

Explanation

Anything milky looks like milk — it's whitish and cloudy. Soapy bathwater, pale skin, and the sap inside some plants can all be described as milky. You can use milky to talk about a friend's clear, light complexion, and you can also use it to describe something that has milk in it: "I like my tea sweet and milky." Sometimes you'll find this word describing something that's clouded, like an elderly dog's milky eyes. Our galaxy, in fact, is known as the Milky Way because its shining band of stars can't be individually seen without a telescope, so they appear cloudy or milky.

Example Sentences

A decade later, a couple of Italian landscapes similarly turn complex space into milky planes kept parallel to the surface of the canvas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026

From coffee infused with yuzu to milky mango topped with matcha mousse, these are our favorite picks for over-the-top drinks that taste just as good as they look.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

The security guard reclaimed his chair, sipping on a milky bubble tea.

From Slate • Oct. 10, 2025

Kirsh can’t resist taunting his foe through milky spittle, reminding Morrow that John Henry died of exhaustion.

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2025

“Yes,” said Harry, looking down into the milky eyes fixed upon his own, “I think she does.”

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• frosted
• opaque
• pearly