grainier; grainiest
Synonyms of grainynext
1
: resembling or having some characteristic of grain : not smooth or fine
2
of a photograph : appearing to be composed of grain-like particles
graininess noun

Examples of grainy in a Sentence

The mustard has a grainy texture. grainy sand kept it off the rankings as one of the nation's best beaches
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This dry, chewy cereal is so grainy that the flavor of cinnamon is lost. Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026 Louise got out of bed, groped her way across the dark room, found her phone tethered to the charger, then scrolled back through her photos to find the grainy twenty-seven-second video of the ants. Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026 Those children dreamed of someday going to space, of living the experiences instead of just watching them on grainy cathode-ray television sets. Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026 Ten years ago, a grainy classroom video turned Maggie Rogers into an overnight phenomenon. Spin Staff, SPIN, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grainy

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grainy was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Grainy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grainy. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.

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