smoky

American  

[smoh-kee] / ˈsmoʊ ki /

Also smokey

adjective

smokier, smokiest

1. emitting smoke, especially in large amounts.

2. hazy; darkened or begrimed with smoke.

3. having the character or appearance of smoke.

   smoky colors.

4. pertaining to or suggestive of smoke.

   a smoky haze.

5. of a dull or brownish gray; cloudy.

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smoky British  

/ ˈsməʊkɪ /

adjective

1. emitting, containing, or resembling smoke

2. emitting smoke excessively or in the wrong place

   a smoky fireplace

3. of or tinged with the colour smoke

   a smoky cat

4. having the flavour of having been cured by smoking

5. made dark, dirty, or hazy by smoke

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Other Word Forms

• smokily adverb
• smokiness noun
• unsmokily adverb
• unsmokiness noun
• unsmoky adjective

Etymology

Origin of smoky

A Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; smoke, -y ¹

Example Sentences

When he got to the end of the line, at about 8:45 a.m., he noticed a handful of smoky areas in heavier brush, and a hand line that wasn’t cut properly.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

Charred furniture, lecterns and smoky curls of carpet are piled around the entrance - its guts emptied, and debris cleared, in time for Friday prayers.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

On the smoky, slow-burn number “Hide,” she imagines a relationship falling apart so slowly that the participants barely know it’s happening.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025

In the smoky room filled with customers who wear the cloth caps of working men, a barmaid whispers a name.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Snatching up the pitchfork, I smacked away at the glowing straw, all the while dragging the smoky bundle farther away from the barn.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Related Words

• burning
• dingy
• silvery
• smoldering
• thick