clayey

/ˈkleɪi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkleɪi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈklā-ē/ (ame, mw)

clayey — adjective

  • clayeypositive
  • clayeyercomparative
  • clayeyestsuperlative

1. describing soil or ground that has a high proportion of clay — a fine, sticky na

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describing soil or ground that has a high proportion of clay — a fine, sticky natural material — so that the earth feels heavy, holds water easily, and can be moulded when wet.

例句

The gardener found the clayey soil hard to dig after the heavy rain.

attributive: clayey soil — describes type of ground

Potters prefer clayey earth because it holds its shape well on the wheel.

同義詞
  • clay-rich

    more direct and literal; common in gardening guides

  • heavy

    informal term for soil that is dense and difficult to work; does not specifically name clay as the cause

  • argillaceous

    technical term used in geology and soil science; too formal for everyday use

反義詞
  • sandy

    describes soil with a high sand content that drains quickly and feels light

  • loamy

    describes ideal balanced soil that is neither too heavy nor too light

文法句型

clayey + noun (attributive)

be + clayey (predicative)

用法筆記

Common in contexts related to gardening, pottery, geology, and agriculture. The comparative form (clayier) and superlative (clayiest) exist but are rarely used in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌This is a clay soil.
✅This is a clayey soil.
💡'clay' is a noun; 'clayey' is the adjective form needed to describe the soil type.
❌The ground is very clay.
✅The ground is very clayey.
💡Use the adjective, not the noun, to describe a characteristic.