silvery

silvery — adjective

1. having a shiny, pale grey colour that looks like polished silver metal

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

having a shiny, pale grey colour that looks like polished silver metal

Example

The old woman's hair had turned a silvery grey over the years.

collocation: silvery grey / silvery white

Moonlight spread a silvery glow across the surface of the lake.

collocation: silvery glow / silvery light

Common collocations
  • silvery grey
  • silvery white
  • silvery glow
  • silvery light
  • silvery scales
  • silvery frost
  • silvery hair
Synonyms
  • shiny

    broader meaning; silvery is specific to the pale grey shine of silver

  • gleaming

    suggests a softer, reflected light; less tied to the colour silver

  • metallic

    wider in scope; any metal look, not just silver

Antonyms
  • dull

    lacking shine or brightness

  • matte

    intentionally non-shiny finish

Grammar Patterns

silvery + noun

be + silvery

Usage Note

Used for colour or appearance, not for objects made of the metal. For actual silver objects, use 'silver' alone (a silver ring, not a silvery ring).

Common Mistakes

She wore a silvery necklace made of real silver.
She wore a silver necklace made of real silver.
'silvery' describes colour or shine, not material composition.

2. describing a sound that is light, clear, and pleasant, like small bells ringing

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a sound that is light, clear, and pleasant, like small bells ringing or a gentle high-pitched voice

Example

The silvery sound of the wind chimes filled the quiet garden.

collocation: silvery sound / silvery voice / silvery laughter

Ravindra could hear the silvery laughter of children playing in the yard.

Common collocations
  • silvery sound
  • silvery voice
  • silvery laughter
  • silvery bell
  • silvery notes
  • silvery tone
Synonyms
  • bell-like

    more specific — directly compares the sound to a bell

  • clear

    broader; describes any clean, undistorted sound

  • tinkling

    suggests repeated light high-pitched sounds, often small objects

Antonyms
  • harsh

    rough and unpleasant to hear

  • grating

    irritating, scraping sound

Grammar Patterns

silvery + noun (sound, voice, laugh, bell)

Usage Note

Typically used for pleasant high-pitched sounds such as bells, laughter, or a singing voice. Not used for low, deep, or loud sounds.

Common Mistakes

The truck's horn made a silvery noise.
The wind chimes made a silvery sound.
'silvery' describes pleasant, light sounds, not loud or harsh ones.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Silvery is the most specific of these four words — it describes the pale grey shine of polished silver metal. Shiny is the broadest term, covering any surface that reflects light, from a new car to a polished floor. Gleaming suggests a warm, soft reflected light, often from a surface that has been cleaned or polished, like gleaming kitchen tiles. Lustrous is more poetic and formal, used for hair, pearls, or fabrics that glow with a deep, soft shine. Metallic is neutral and factual, describing the look of any metal surface, not just one that is bright. For example, you would describe an old coin as metallic but not necessarily silvery, while fresh snow under moonlight could be silvery but not metallic.

shiny ↗gleaminglustrousmetallic ↗

Etymology

GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Silvery comes from the Old English word seolfor ('silver'), which was inherited from a Germanic root. The '-y' suffix was added in Middle English to form an adjective meaning 'like silver' or 'having the qualities of silver'. By the 1500s, the word had also developed its sound-related meaning, comparing the clear tone of a silver bell to a pleasant voice or musical note.