husky

/ˈhʌski/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhʌski/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhə-skē/ (ame, mw) · /ˈhʌs.ki/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhʌs.ki/ (ame, ipa)

husky — adjective

  • huskypositive
  • huskiercomparative
  • huskiestsuperlative

1. A husky voice sounds low, deep, and slightly rough — this can be because someone

1.形容詞B1
釋義

A husky voice sounds low, deep, and slightly rough — this can be because someone has a cold, has been crying or shouting, or it can simply be a natural quality of their voice that some people find attractive.

例句

After shouting at the football match, Liam's voice went husky and he could barely speak.

husky from overusing the voice (shouting)

The singer's husky whisper gave the old love song a feeling of deep sadness.

husky whisper — collocation for an attractive voice

同義詞
  • hoarse

    more negative — usually from shouting or illness, almost never attractive

  • raspy

    harsher and rougher than husky, often describes a voice damaged from smoking

  • throaty

    darker and richer in quality, usually attractive, common for jazz or blues singers

  • croaky

    informal; sounds like a frog's croak, often temporary from a cold or tiredness

反義詞
  • clear

    a voice with no roughness or hoarseness

  • shrill

    high-pitched and unpleasant, opposite of low and rough

文法句型

husky + noun (voice, whisper, laugh)

be/look/sound/go + husky

用法筆記

Only describes a voice, not a person. Frequently collocates with 'voice', 'whisper', 'laugh', or 'cough'. Can signal either an attractive quality (common in descriptions of singers) or a temporary condition resulting from illness, crying, or shouting.

常見錯誤

She has a husky person.
She has a husky voice.
💡This sense of 'husky' describes a voice, not a person's appearance.
He spoke in a husky way.
He spoke in a husky voice.
💡The most natural and common word partner is 'voice', not 'way'.

2. Someone described as husky has a body that is naturally big, solid, and strong —

2.形容詞B2
釋義

Someone described as husky has a body that is naturally big, solid, and strong — often with broad shoulders and a heavy frame, as seen in people who do demanding physical work.

例句

The husky farmer lifted the heavy sack of potatoes onto his shoulder without any effort.

husky + body-size noun (farmer) for physical build

Amira's brother is tall and husky, with broad shoulders and large hands.

同義詞
  • burly

    very similar in meaning; a burly person is big, heavy, and strongly built, often in a rough-looking way

  • stocky

    shorter than 'husky' implies; strongly built but not tall

  • sturdy

    strong and solid, but not necessarily large; focuses on being well-built and hard to knock over

  • brawny

    emphasises large muscles more than 'husky' does; a brawny person looks visibly muscular

反義詞
  • slender

    thin in a graceful way, the opposite of big and solid

  • slight

    thin and not very strong, opposite of having a bulky build

文法句型

husky + noun (man, boy, build, frame)

be/look + husky

grow/get + husky

用法筆記

Distinguish from adj/1 (LOW ROUGH VOICE) — this sense describes a person's body and size, not their voice. Typically used for men and boys. Overlaps in meaning with 'burly' but is slightly less common in modern use.

常見錯誤

He is a husky voice.
He is a husky man.
💡The 'big and strong' sense describes a person's body, not their voice.
The girl is very husky.
The wrestler is tall and husky.
💡This sense is much more common for males and for adults with a solid, strong build.

husky — noun