Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

clammy

/ˈklæmi/ adjective

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about clammy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Cold and damp, usually referring to hands or palms.
His hands were clammy from fright.
The quality of normal skin signs, epidermis that is neither diaphoretic nor dry.

Origin

From Middle English clam (“viscous, sticky; slimy”) + -y, from Old English clǣman (“to smear, bedaub”). Compare German klamm (“clammy”) and klemmen (“to be stuck, stick”). See also clam.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word