What does eggy mean?
"Eggy" is an informal adjective describing something that smells, tastes, or looks like egg. It appears most often in discussions of food, where it can be either neutral or mildly critical depending on context: a custard may be praised for its rich, eggy flavour, while a sauce that has become overly eggy may be considered unpleasant. The word can also suggest a soft, custard-like texture. Common collocations include "eggy smell," "eggy taste," and "eggy flavour." Though simple in form, the word carries a distinctly sensory quality and is frequently used by cooks and food writers to convey a specific note in a dish's profile. It should not be confused with "edgy," which means tense or cutting-edge. While not a formal dictionary staple, "eggy" is well established in informal English on both sides of the Atlantic and remains a useful shorthand for one of cooking's most recognisable flavour signatures.
adjectiveHaving the smell, taste, or appearance of egg; often used of foods or flavours that recall eggs, sometimes unpleasantly.
- Smelling, tasting, or resembling egg.
- (Of a texture) soft and custard-like, like cooked egg.
"The batter had an eggy taste because she used too many yolks."
"The kitchen was left with a distinctly eggy odour after breakfast."
"The custard had turned out rich and eggy, just as the recipe promised."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eggy
"Eggy" is formed simply from the noun "egg" plus the adjectival suffix "-y," indicating resemblance or characterised by. The noun "egg" itself comes from Old Norse "egg," which replaced the older Old English form "ǣg" during the Middle English period. The adjective arose naturally through ordinary English word-formation and has been in informal use for centuries.
How eggy is actually used
Informal register; most common in British English, especially in food writing and everyday descriptions of cooking.
Easily confused with eggy
"Edgy" means nervous, tense, or cutting-edge, while "eggy" relates to the smell, taste, or look of eggs.