leathery
/'leðəri/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Resembling leather in texture or toughness: Having a tough, flexible, and somewhat rough quality similar to that of leather.
- Tough but pliable: Describing something that is strong and durable yet can be bent or flexed without breaking.
Usage
The adjective "leathery" is used to describe the physical texture and quality of an object or material. It is most commonly applied to organic substances like skin, meat, or plant leaves. It often carries a neutral or descriptive tone but can imply a negative quality (like being overcooked or aged) when describing food, or a positive quality (like being durable) when describing materials.
Examples
- Describing Skin:
- Years of working in the sun had given the fisherman a leathery face.
- The old sailor's hands were leathery and covered in scars.
- Describing Food:
- The steak was overcooked and had become tough and leathery.
- I couldn't eat the leathery piece of chicken.
- Describing Plants or Materials:
- The plant has thick, leathery leaves that help it retain water.
- He wore a jacket made from a strange, leathery fabric.
Advanced Usage
- Figurative Use: While primarily literal, "leathery" can be used figuratively to describe something with a tough, unyielding quality.
- He had a leathery resilience that helped him survive many hardships.
- Comparative and Superlative Forms: "Leatherier" and "leatheriest" are standard forms.
- Of the two hides, this one is definitely leatherier.
- This is the leatheriest piece of meat I've ever encountered.
Variants and Related Words
- Leather (n): The material made from animal skin, which gives "leathery" its meaning.
- Leatherlike (adj): A synonym meaning resembling leather.
- Coriaceous (adj): A formal, chiefly botanical term meaning leathery in texture.
Synonyms
- Tough: Strong and durable.
- Pliable: Easily bent or flexible.
- Durable: Able to withstand wear and pressure.
- Wizened: Shriveled or wrinkled with age (often used for skin, overlapping in meaning).
Antonyms
- Tender: Soft and easy to cut or chew.
- Delicate: Easily broken or damaged.
- Brittle: Hard but liable to break easily.
Related Phrases and Idioms
Note: "Leathery" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verbs or idioms. The related noun "leather" appears in idioms. - "Tough as old boots" (Idiom): An idiom with a similar meaning to "leathery," meaning very tough and durable. - That meat is tough as old boots.
Adjective
-
resembling or made to resemble leather; tough but pliable
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