gamey

IPA/ˈɡeɪmi/
IPA/ˈɡeɪmi/

gamey — adjective

  • gameypositive
  • gameyercomparative
  • gameyestsuperlative

1. having the rich, sharp smell or flavor of wild meat, often after it has been kep

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

having the rich, sharp smell or flavor of wild meat, often after it has been kept for a time.

Example

The stew tasted gamey because the deer meat had hung for days.

linking verb: taste + gamey

Joaquín found the rabbit too gamey, so he added wine and herbs.

pattern: find + meat + gamey

Common collocations
  • gamey smell
  • gamey taste
  • gamey rabbit
  • smell gamey
Synonyms
  • musky

    can describe an animal-like smell, but not specifically the taste of meat

  • rank

    is more strongly negative and often suggests something almost rotten

  • strong-tasting

    is broader and does not point to wild meat in particular

Antonyms
  • mild

    describes food with a gentle smell or flavor

  • delicate

    suggests a light, fine taste rather than a heavy wild one

Grammar Patterns

taste gamey

smell gamey

gamey + meat

Usage Note

Usually said about meat from wild birds or animals, and often carries a slightly negative opinion. It is not the normal word for food that is merely spicy or fishy.

Common Mistakes

The soup was gamey because it had too much pepper.
The rabbit stew was gamey because the meat had a strong wild smell.
use this sense for a wild-meat smell or taste, not for any strong seasoning.

2. showing a bold, ready spirit when something risky or hard happens.

2.adjectiveC2
Definition

showing a bold, ready spirit when something risky or hard happens.

Example

The gamey boxer kept moving forward after a hard punch.

pattern: gamey + person

Even with waves rising fast, Samir stayed gamey at the wheel.

linking verb: stay + gamey

Common collocations
  • gamey boxer
  • stay gamey
  • look gamey
  • gamey little dog
Synonyms
  • brave

    is the broad everyday word and does not sound rare or old-fashioned

  • plucky

    suggests cheerful courage, especially from someone small or weak

  • gutsy

    is more informal and stresses nerve

Antonyms
  • timid

    shows a lack of courage in the same situation

  • cautious

    focuses on avoiding risk rather than rushing toward it

Grammar Patterns

be gamey

stay gamey

gamey + person/animal

Usage Note

Much rarer than everyday brave or gutsy. It is used for a person or animal that stays bold when facing danger, pain, or another hard test.

Common Mistakes

I'm gamey to help tonight.
I'm game to help tonight.
everyday English usually uses 'game' for simple willingness; this rare sense of 'gamey' stresses bold courage.

3. slightly dirty, scandalous, or sexually suggestive in a way that attracts notice

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

slightly dirty, scandalous, or sexually suggestive in a way that attracts notice.

Example

The tabloid printed a gamey story about the mayor and his aide.

collocation: gamey story

Jack laughed at the gamey joke, but his aunt looked annoyed.

collocation: gamey joke

Common collocations
  • gamey joke
  • gamey story
  • gamey photos
  • sound gamey
Synonyms
  • racy

    usually points more directly to sexual suggestion

  • scandalous

    is broader and often sounds more severe or moralizing

  • sleazy

    is more strongly negative and suggests low taste

Antonyms
  • decent

    stays within accepted social limits

  • clean

    contains no improper or sexual hint

Grammar Patterns

gamey + joke/story/photo

sound gamey

too gamey

Usage Note

Often used about jokes, stories, pictures, or remarks that feel a bit improper rather than openly obscene. It can suggest gossip and scandal as much as sex.

Common Mistakes

The action film is gamey because it has many fights.
The tabloid article is gamey because it hints at an affair.
this sense is about improper or sexually suggestive material, not ordinary excitement.

Word family

  • game
    nounB1
  • game
    adjectiveC1
  • gamy
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Gamey is closest to gamy, which is mostly just another spelling of the same word. Musky often describes an animal or body smell, so it does not automatically suggest meat for eating. Earthy can be positive, especially for mushrooms, root vegetables, or wine, while gamey often suggests a stronger wild-meat flavor that some people dislike. Rank is more negative still, and it usually suggests a smell that has become unpleasant or gone bad. A cook might praise an earthy mushroom sauce, warn that rabbit tastes gamey, or throw out milk that smells rank. So gamey often sits between a neutral food description and a mild complaint.

gamymuskyearthy ↗rank ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Gamey comes from game, the word for wild animals hunted for food, plus the adjective ending -y. It first described meat that smelled or tasted strongly of wild animals, especially after hanging before cooking. Later speakers extended it figuratively to people who seemed bold in danger and to jokes or stories that felt slightly improper or sexually suggestive. The spelling gamy is also common.