sandy

sandy — adjective

1. describes a surface or area that has a layer of sand on it, or a substance that

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

describes a surface or area that has a layer of sand on it, or a substance that contains sand

Example

The children loved playing on the sandy beach near their hotel.

collocation: sandy beach

I wiped my sandy feet on the mat before going inside.

Common collocations
  • sandy beach
  • sandy soil
  • sandy ground
  • sandy path
  • sandy shore
Synonyms
  • gritty

    describes a texture with small hard particles, but the particles may not be sand

  • dusty

    describes a surface covered with very fine dry powder, such as soil or dirt rather than sand

Grammar Patterns

sandy + noun (a sandy beach)

be/look/feel + sandy (the path felt sandy)

2. describes hair that is a light yellowish-orange colour, similar to the colour of

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes hair that is a light yellowish-orange colour, similar to the colour of sand on a beach

Example

Heather has short sandy hair and green eyes.

collocation: sandy hair

The little boy's sandy hair got even lighter in the summer sun.

describes hair colour that changes with sun exposure

Common collocations
  • sandy hair
  • sandy blonde
  • sandy colour
Synonyms
  • fair

    a more general term for light-coloured hair, not specifically the orange-brown shade

  • blonde

    light yellow hair; sandy is a specific shade of blonde with more orange tones

  • auburn

    a reddish-brown colour that is darker and more red than sandy

Antonyms
  • dark

    opposite end of the hair colour spectrum

Grammar Patterns

sandy + noun (sandy hair)

dye/turn + noun + sandy blonde

Usage Note

This sense is restricted to human hair colour; use 'sandy-coloured' for objects or animal fur.

Common Mistakes

She has blonde hair' (when it is actually an orange-brown shade).
She has sandy hair.
'sandy' describes a specific light brownish-orange shade between blonde and auburn.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Sandy, gritty, and dusty all describe surfaces or substances made up of small loose particles, but they differ in what those particles actually are. Sandy specifically points to sand — the pale brown grains found on beaches and in deserts. Gritty describes a texture that feels like it contains small hard pieces, which may be sand, stone, or dirt, but the emphasis is on the rough feel rather than the material. Dusty indicates a surface covered with very fine dry powder, usually soil, ash, or household debris, and often suggests that the coating comes off easily. For example, a 'sandy beach' has actual beach sand underfoot, a 'gritty path' feels rough because of tiny stones mixed into the dirt, and a 'dusty road' leaves a layer of fine pale powder on your shoes.

sandy ↗grittydusty ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Sandy comes from the Old English word sand, which refers to the small loose grains found on beaches and in deserts. The suffix -y turns the noun into an adjective meaning 'full of' or 'covered with.' The colour meaning for hair appeared later, based on the pale golden-brown colour of beach sand.