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wavy

/ˈweɪvi/adjective, noun

wavy is spelled W-A-V-Y: 4 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, wavy means “Rising or swelling in waves” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in wavy?

Letters4: W-A-V-Y
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing1.7 times per million words; the 21,209th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is wavy?

Wavy appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,209th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce wavy?

  • /ˈweɪvi/

Wavy has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-wavy.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of wavy

  • wavier comparative
  • waviest superlative
  • wavey
  • wavies plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does wavy mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Rising or swelling in waves.

    wavy seas

  2. 2

    Full of waves.

    wavy swimming pool

  3. 3

    Moving to and fro; undulating.

    wavy bridge

  4. 4

    Having wave-like shapes on its border or surface; waved.

    wavy hair

  5. 5

    Moving up and down relative to the surface; undulate.

  6. 6

    Undé, in a wavy line; applied to ordinaries, or division lines, especially to symbolize a river.

  7. 7

    slangDrunk.

  8. 8

    slangCool and fashionable.

noun

  1. 1

    datedAlternative form of wavey (goose).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Wavy in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchondulant (rising or swelling in waves), ondulé (waved), ondé (heraldry: undé, in a wavy line)
Spanishondulante, ondeante (rising or swelling in waves), ondulado (waved), undoso, ondoso (full of waves), ondulatorio (undulating)
GermanWellenschnitt (heraldry: undé, in a wavy line)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does wavy come from?

From wave + -y.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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