metallic
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Harsh, as if coming from two metals striking one another.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
muhtalikSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
məˈtælɪk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Of, relating to, or characteristic of metal.
Containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal
of a sound
Harsh, as if coming from two metals striking one another.
of a color
Having the appearance of being of polished metal.
noun
A metallic color.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Of, relating to, or characteristic of metal.
Used this way, metallic is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use metallic
- “A metallic compound.”adjective
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Having the emotional or social characteristics associated with metal music.
Made from another white metal.
Pertaining to the thinness and cheapness of tin or similar-looking metals, in contrast to a heavier, more valuable….
More generally, consisting of two metals.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.
A chemical bond in which electrons are shared over many nuclei and electronic conduction occurs.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Antonyms
Sense: of or relating to or or characteristic of metal
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.