spongy
UK: ˈspʌn.dʒi | US: ˈspʌn.dʒi
adj. soft, porous, and elastic in texture, resembling a sponge
adj. (figuratively) lacking firmness or resilience; easily compressed or influenced
spongy = spong<sponge> + y<adjective suffix>
- spong (from Latin spongia and Greek spongos, meaning "sponge")
- y (Old English suffix forming adjectives, indicating "characterized by or resembling")
Etymology Origin:
The word spongy traces back to the Latin spongia and Greek spongos, both referring to the absorbent marine creature. The suffix -y was added in Middle English to create an adjective describing qualities akin to a sponge—soft, porous, and compressible. Over time, it also gained figurative use to describe malleable or insubstantial things.
The cake had a delightfully spongy texture.
After the rain, the ground became spongy underfoot.
His argument was spongy and lacked solid evidence.
The mattress felt old and spongy, sagging in the middle.
She pressed her finger into the spongy moss covering the forest floor.