gamy
gamy Lexical Profile
gamy Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having the strong, pungent flavor or odor of wild animals or birds hunted for food, especially meat that has been hung until slightly tainted.
"Soaking the venison in buttermilk overnight helps mellow its strong, gamy flavor before roasting."
Showing a brave, spirited, and unyielding willingness to fight or endure hardship; plucky.
"The gamy terrier refused to back down even when confronted by a much larger hound."
Slightly scandalous, unwholesome, or morally questionable in nature.
"The tabloid thrived on publishing gamy gossip about the private lives of prominent politicians."
Word Nuance & Usage
Also commonly spelled "gamey," especially in culinary contexts when describing the pungent flavor of wild meat.
• Rhymes for gamy
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the mid-19th century, derived from the noun "game" (from Old English gamen, meaning sport, amusement, or wild animals hunted for food) combined with the suffix "-y."