Word
soapy
US/ˈsoʊpi/
UK/sˈəʊpi/
Definition
adj. containing or covered in soap. It can also describe something that feels slippery or tastes like soap.
adj. containing, covered with, or resembling soap. In a media context, it refers to the melodramatic and sentimental style typical of daytime television dramas.
Examples
“The floor is very soapy and slippery after the cleaning.”
“The critic dismissed the new drama series as too soapy, complaining that the plot relied on unbelievable coincidences.”
“While the film starts as a gritty thriller, it eventually devolves into a soapy narrative filled with secret twins and sudden amnesia.”
Examples
simple
“The floor is very soapy and slippery after the cleaning.”
contextual
“The critic dismissed the new drama series as too soapy, complaining that the plot relied on unbelievable coincidences.”
complex
“While the film starts as a gritty thriller, it eventually devolves into a soapy narrative filled with secret twins and sudden amnesia.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “soapy” in context.
Verb
01. feel soapy
“My hands still feel soapy, so I need another rinse.”
verb + adj
02. leave soapy
“Don't leave the dishes soapy; rinse them well.”
verb + adj
03. make soapy
“Add a few drops of detergent to make the water soapy.”
verb + adj
04. smell soapy
“The bathroom smells soapy after cleaning.”
verb + adj
Adjective
05. faintly soapy
“The clean towels smelled faintly soapy and fresh.”
adv + adj
06. slightly soapy
“The dishwater felt slightly soapy between my fingers.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. soapy cloth
“He wiped the table with a damp soapy cloth.”
adj + noun
08. soapy film
“A thin soapy film covered the surface of the sink.”
adj + noun
09. bowl of warm soapy water
“She filled a bowl of warm soapy water to wash the windows.”
10. covered in soapy suds
“The children were covered in soapy suds after washing the dog.”
11. leaves a soapy taste
“This cup leaves a soapy taste if you don't rinse it well.”
12. rinse off soapy lather
“Rinse off the soapy lather with clean warm water.”
Usage
Often used figuratively to describe television shows or books that are overly emotional.
Real-World Examples
“The public, however, took it to heart as a soapy family drama – Cain and Abel, but out west and set over three generations.” “This should be done first with a stiff brush, followed by warm, soapy water.” “A lot of people think that if you have a shower and you kind of just let the water trickle, that that's washing feet, but it isn't – you need to actually physically wash your feet with soapy water," says Wilkinson.” “The soap is engineered to repel mosquitoes for up to six hours post-application, and when the soapy water is disposed of on the ground, it can prevent mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water.” Etymology
From Middle English soap + -y, appearing as an English formation to describe the properties of soap. The term shares a common Germanic lineage with the German Low German sepig, German seifig, and Swedish såpig.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Domain
- 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
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/soapy