Word
leathery
Phoneticsleath·ery
US/ˈɫɛðɝi/
UK/lˈɛðəɹi/
Definition
adj. tough and dry like leather, hard to bend or chew. You use it for skin, meat, or leaves that feel stiff and rough.
adj. having the texture or appearance of leather; tough, stiff, and often wrinkled or weathered. Commonly describes skin, overcooked meat, or dried plant material.
Examples
“The old boots feel leathery and stiff.”
“The steak is overcooked and leathery, so the kids leave most of it on their plates.”
“Years of sun and wind had left his hands leathery, the skin creased like the cover of a well-used book.”
Examples
simple
“The old boots feel leathery and stiff.”
contextual
“The steak is overcooked and leathery, so the kids leave most of it on their plates.”
complex
“Years of sun and wind had left his hands leathery, the skin creased like the cover of a well-used book.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “leathery” in context.
Verb
01. become leathery
“If you overcook squid, it quickly becomes leathery.”
verb + adj
02. feel leathery
“This jacket feels leathery, but it is made of plastic.”
verb + adj
03. grow leathery
“The leaves grow leathery during the dry season.”
verb + adj
Adjective
04. leathery face
“The old farmer had a wrinkled, leathery face.”
adj + noun
05. leathery hand
“He shook my hand with his rough, leathery hand.”
adj + noun
06. leathery leaf
“The plant has a thick, leathery leaf.”
adj + noun
07. leathery skin
“The sailor had brown, leathery skin from years in the sun.”
adj + noun
08. leathery steak
“We could not eat the tough, leathery steak.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. leathery to chew
“The dried meat was salty and leathery to chew.”
adj + prep + verb
10. leathery to touch
“The old cover was rough and leathery to touch.”
adj + prep + verb
11. a tanned leathery face
“The guide had a tanned leathery face and blue eyes.”
12. go leathery with age
“Car seats often go leathery with age and crack.”
Real-World Examples
“Leaves, in a variety of greens sometimes tinged with red or bronze, may be delicate and fernlike, or broad, lustrous and leathery.” “When the stratum corneum becomes excessively dry, the skin may suffer from itchiness, flakiness, inflammation, a leathery texture, and an overall unattractive appearance.” “The mangosteen -- a tropical fruit about the size of a tangerine, whose leathery maroon shell surrounds moist, fragrant, snow-white segments of ambrosial flesh -- can't get a visa.” Etymology
From leather + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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