pulpier; pulpiest
1
a
: of, relating to, or containing pulp
pulpy orange juice
They are bigger—the size of cultivated blueberries—and have pulpy flesh and skin the purple-black color of eggplant.Corby Kummer
b
: resembling pulp : soft and yielding
… I know women at my gym who diet all the time and endure five calisthenics classes a week and still have pulpy thighs and no waistline.Helen Dudar
2
: relating to, suggestive of, or characterized by the sensational subject matter or tone of pulp fiction (see pulp entry 1 sense 4)
… a fairly chilling, spooky meditation on parenthood, guilt, dirty little secrets and community—a pulpy … immorality play.David Wild
In reality, I'm a writer, with six pulpy thrillers under my belt …Ben Mezrich
pulpiness noun

Examples of pulpy in a Sentence

good, ripe peaches will be pulpy and not mealy the pulpy flesh of ripe fruit
Recent Examples on the Web In leaning even further into the pulpiest aspects of the B:TAS aesthetic, Caped Crusader is a joy to look at. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2024 Alia Atreides is a key figure in Dune Messiah, Frank Herbert’s wild and pulpier sequel to Dune, though her role in this film is actually cut down from what happens in the novel. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2024 These are powerful tools for filmmakers who play around in the pulpier genres. Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pulpy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pulpy was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near pulpy

Cite this Entry

“Pulpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulpy. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pulpy

adjective
ˈpəl-pē
pulpier; pulpiest
: resembling or consisting of pulp
pulpiness noun

Medical Definition

pulpy

adjective
pulpier; pulpiest
: resembling or consisting of pulp
a pulpy mass
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