Ropy
adj, slang ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Resembling rope in appearance or texture, used especially of muscles that are thick or hard to the touch.
"Myofascial Syndrome Hence, myofascial pain is usually associated with a taut band, indicating a "ropey" thickening of muscle tissue."
- 2 Of poor quality; in poor health. Ireland, UK, colloquial
"The very poultry in the coop / Began to pine away and droop— / The cock was first to go; / And glad we were on all our parts, / He used to damp our very hearts / With such a ropy crow."
- 3 Capable of forming rope-like or thread-like structures.
- 4 Of milk or another liquid: slimy, as after the action of Enterobacter aerogenes in syrup.
"The Hoary Froſts, and Northern Blaſts take care / Thy muddy Bev'rage to ſerene, and drive / Præcipitant the baſer, ropy Lees."
- 1 (British informal) very poor in quality wordnet
- 2 forming viscous or glutinous threads wordnet
- 3 of or resembling rope (or ropes) in being long and strong wordnet
Example
More examples"Myofascial Syndrome Hence, myofascial pain is usually associated with a taut band, indicating a "ropey" thickening of muscle tissue."
Etymology
From Middle English ropy, from Middle English rop + -y, equivalent to rope + -y.
From Scots roupy (“husky; hoarse”), from Scots roup (“hoarseness, huskiness, any inflamed condition of the throat”).
Related phrases
More for "ropy"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.