What does drooly mean?
Drooly is an informal adjective used to describe something covered in or dripping with saliva, or a person or animal that is drooling. It derives simply from the verb "drool" — to let saliva flow uncontrollably from the mouth — plus the adjectival suffix "-y." The word appears most often in casual, affectionate contexts: parents describe teething babies as drooly, dog owners talk about drooly toys or pillows left by slobbery pets, and people may describe themselves as drooly after falling asleep on a long flight. Because of its connection to loss of bodily control, the word can also carry a mildly comic or unflattering connotation when applied to adults, particularly those asleep or dazed. While it is firmly colloquial and unlikely to appear in formal prose, it fills a useful expressive niche in everyday English, where alternatives like "salivating" sound clinical rather than vivid.
Covered in or dripping with saliva.
"She wiped the drooly toy before handing it back to the toddler."
(Of a person) inclined to drool, especially while asleep or unconscious.
"He woke up on the train feeling groggy and drooly."
Often humorous or self-deprecating when applied to adults.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of drooly
Drooly is a modern formation from the verb "drool," which emerged in English in the mid-nineteenth century as a variant of "drivel" (and possibly influenced by "droil"), meaning to slaver or dribble saliva. Adding the common adjectival suffix "-y" produced a word describing things marked by drooling. It shares its ultimate roots with related slaver-words such as "drivel" and "dribble," which trace back to Old English and Middle Low German terms for spittle.
Related word forms
How drooly is actually used
Informal and colloquial register; common in everyday speech about babies, pets, and sleeping people. Rarely used in formal writing, where more clinical terms such as 'salivating' are preferred.
Easily confused with drooly
"Droopily" means in a sagging or wilting manner (from "droop"), while "drooly" relates to saliva or drooling.