adjective
grainy
GRAY-nee
adjective
1
Having a rough, granular texture, made up of small visible particles.
"The old photo was dark and grainy."
"The sauce turned out grainy because the sugar didn't fully dissolve."
How to Use Grainy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRough or coarse-textured, like tiny grains — often used for low-quality images or gritty food textures.
Common pairings
grainy photo
grainy footage
grainy texture
Word Forms
grainier comparative, grainiest superlative
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The old photo was dark and _____.
Etymology
From Middle English greyny, from grain plus the adjective suffix -y.