What does glutinous mean?
Glutinous means sticky, adhesive, or thickly cohesive. Its applications range from literal physical description to figurative writing: a sauce may become a glutinous mass, a surface may be coated with a glutinous substance, and an atmosphere may be described as glutinous when it feels emotionally or socially difficult to escape. The word is especially established in the phrase “glutinous rice,” denoting rice varieties that cook into a soft, sticky texture because of their high proportion of amylopectin. Although “glutinous” can sound culinary or technical, it is also useful in literary and figurative contexts. The term derives from the same Latin root as “gluten” and “glue,” reflecting the original physical idea of substances that bind or adhere. Its formal tone and vivid sensory associations make it especially effective when the quality of stickiness is central to the description.
adjectiveSticky or adhesive; having a thick, cohesive consistency. In food contexts, it commonly describes rice that becomes sticky when cooked.
- Sticky, adhesive, or having a thick, cohesive consistency.
"The sauce had reduced to a glutinous mass that clung stubbornly to the spoon."
"The chef folded the glutinous rice with herbs and grilled vegetables to serve alongside the fish."
"Months of unresolved dispute had left the committee bound together by a glutinous sense of grievance."
Glutinous shares its root with gluten, so the word carries a deliciously literal sense: stickiness born of the substance that gives dough its structure.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glutinous come from?
English borrowed “glutinous” from Latin glutinosus, an adjective meaning sticky or resembling glue and formed from gluten, the Latin word for glue, with the suffix -osus. The word has been used in English since the early 17th century. Its Latin relatives include agglutinate and conglutinate, both of which involve joining or adhering, while the modern English word gluten preserves the same root.
Related word forms
How glutinous is actually used
Outside food and technical writing, the adjective is somewhat formal and may suggest an unpleasantly sticky, clinging, or emotionally binding quality.
Easily confused with glutinous
Glutinous means sticky or adhesive, whereas gluttonous means excessively greedy or fond of eating.