metallic

/məˈtælɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /məˈtælɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /mə-ˈta-lik/ (ame, mw)

metallic — adjective

  • metallicpositive
  • more metalliccomparative
  • most metallicsuperlative

1. Having a quality such as a sound, taste, colour, or smell that reminds you of me

1.形容詞B1
釋義

Having a quality such as a sound, taste, colour, or smell that reminds you of metal — for example, the hard ringing noise of a dropped pan, the sharp flavour of a coin, or the reflective shine of a polished surface.

例句

When Adina dropped her keys, a loud metallic sound echoed through the hallway.

metallic sound — describes a hard, ringing noise like metal

Water from the old tap had a metallic taste, so Vivek stopped drinking it.

同義詞
  • brassy

    specifically describes a loud, harsh sound like brass instruments

  • tinny

    describes a thin, cheap metallic sound, usually negative

  • gleaming

    focuses on shiny appearance only, not sound or taste

  • silvery

    a softer, more pleasant metallic quality, often of sound or colour

反義詞
  • dull

    lacking shine or brightness

  • muffled

    of sound, not sharp or ringing

文法句型

metallic + noun

be + metallic

用法筆記

This sense covers sensory qualities that resemble metal. It is commonly used with nouns referring to sound (metallic clang, metallic ring), taste (metallic flavour), smell (metallic odour), or appearance (metallic sheen, metallic finish).

常見錯誤

❌The water has a metal taste.
✅The water has a metallic taste.
💡'metal' is a noun, not an adjective; use 'metallic' when describing a quality like metal.
❌The coin had a metalic shine.
✅The coin had a metallic shine.
💡'metallic' has two 'l's.

2. Made of metal or containing metal as a physical material — for example, a metall

2.形容詞B1
釋義

Made of metal or containing metal as a physical material — for example, a metallic pipe in a wall, a metallic compound in chemistry, or metallic coins in your pocket.

例句

The old plastic pipes in the kitchen were replaced by strong metallic ones.

metallic ones — shows the adjective used after a noun to avoid repetition

For her art project, Min collected small metallic objects like bottle caps and keys.

同義詞
  • metal

    often used informally as an adjective (a metal pipe), but 'metallic' is more precise

  • iron

    specifically made of the metal iron, narrower in meaning

反義詞
  • plastic

    made of synthetic polymer, very common as an alternative material

  • wooden

    made of wood

  • non-metallic

    a direct opposite, used in technical contexts

文法句型

metallic + noun

用法筆記

This sense is almost always used before a noun (attributive position). Unlike sense 1, it does not describe a resemblance or sensory quality — the object literally contains or is made of metal.

常見錯誤

❌The pipe is made of metallic.
✅The pipe is made of metal.
💡'metallic' is an adjective and cannot replace the noun 'metal' after 'made of.'
❌I bought a metalic chair at the market.
✅I bought a metallic chair at the market.
💡the correct spelling has two 'l's.