clammy

[klam-ee] /ˈklæm i/

adjective, clammier, clammiest.

covered with a cold, sticky moisture; cold and damp:

clammy hands.

sickly; morbid:

She had a clammy feeling that something was wrong at home.

Origin

1350-1400; Middle English, equivalent to Middle English clam sticky, cold and damp + -y -y¹

Related forms

clammily, adverb

clamminess, noun

Examples from the web for clammy

Even after an active day the breathable fabric never left my hands damp or clammy or cold.
It is not only the clammy discomfort of moving through a damp forest.
No waking up damp and clammy and unable to go back to sleep.
Home care depends on what is causing the clammy skin.
Despite the day being somewhat clammy and overcast, the cicadas are creating an absolute racket.
Leaves and stems are clammy to the touch, and have a strong but not unpleasant smell.
One feels the urge to let go his clammy hand, pat him gently and ask him if he feels better.
Typically, the skin is clammy and pale, sometimes nearly blue.
Besides the clammy feel, some scenes strain credulity.
It beat the elements, but the stifling outerwear left me feeling clammy.

British Dictionary definitions for clammy

clammy

/ˈklæmɪ/

adjective -mier, -miest

unpleasantly sticky; moist: clammy hands

(of the weather, atmosphere, etc) close; humid

Derived Forms

clammily, adverb
clamminess, noun

Word Origin

C14: from Old English clǣman to smear; related to Old Norse kleima, Old High German kleimen

Word Origin and History for clammy

adj.

"soft and sticky," late 14c., probably from Middle English clam "viscous, sticky, muddy" (mid-14c.), from Old English clæm "mud, sticky clay," from Proto-Germanic *klaimaz "clay" (cf. Flemish klammig, Low German klamig "sticky, damp," Old English clæman "to smear, plaster;" cf. clay). With -y (2). Related: Clammily; clamminess.