pitchy
pitchy — adjective
- pitchypositive
- pitchiercomparative
- pitchiestsuperlative
1. containing or coated with pitch, a gooey black material that people in earlier t
containing or coated with pitch, a gooey black material that people in earlier times spread on ships and buildings to seal them against water
The old pier had a pitchy smell, reminding João of his grandfather's boat shed.
collocation: pitchy smell
Workers spread a pitchy layer across the wooden roof to keep out the winter rain.
The fishing boat was sealed with a sticky pitchy coating.
Tariq wiped the pitchy residue off his hands with a rag soaked in turpentine.
- tarry
more specific — refers to tar itself rather than the general substance pitch
- bituminous
formal and technical; describes natural substances like coal or asphalt that contain bitumen
- resinous
describes a sticky plant-based substance rather than the mineral-based pitch
用法筆記
This sense is very rare in modern everyday English and appears mainly in historical or technical descriptions of old building and shipbuilding materials.
2. completely black; so dark that nothing can be seen at all
completely black; so dark that nothing can be seen at all
The kitchen went pitchy after the power cut, so Emily lit a candle.
Adina stared into the pitchy darkness of the forest but could only hear the wind.
collocation: pitchy darkness
The stray cat's fur was a pitchy black that seemed to swallow the lamplight.
The alley was so pitchy that Tariq had to feel his way along the wall.
- pitch-black
much more common in everyday speech; pitchy is slightly more literary
- jet-black
describes a shiny, deep black; often used for hair or gemstones
- inky
suggests a liquid blackness; common in descriptions of night or water
- coal-black
more informal; compares the color to coal
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed phrases 'pitchy darkness' and 'pitchy black' to emphasize total absence of light. This is the most common living sense of the word.
常見錯誤
3. singing or playing notes at the wrong level of highness or lowness, so that the
singing or playing notes at the wrong level of highness or lowness, so that the sound is not pleasant or correct
The choir sounded pitchy during the second verse, so the teacher made them start over.
Rafael's voice turned pitchy whenever he tried to reach the highest notes of the song.
collocation: pitchy voice
The violinist gave a pitchy performance; people in the front row covered their ears.
Eri knew her singing was pitchy, but she could not hear the difference herself.
- off-key
more common in everyday speech; pitchy is slightly more informal and often suggests a wavering quality
- out-of-tune
broader — can describe both voices and instruments equally
- discordant
stronger and more formal; describes sounds that clash harshly
- flat
specifically means slightly below the correct pitch
- on-key
singing or playing at the correct pitch
- in-tune
the standard opposite of out-of-tune
- harmonious
broader — describes sounds that go together pleasantly
用法筆記
Common in descriptions of amateur or unrehearsed singing. Can also describe an instrument that is out of tune, though 'out of tune' is more frequent for instruments.