Definition

The condition of being covered with or resembling soot, which is a black powdery substance produced by burning organic matter.

Example

The sootiness of the walls indicated that the fireplace had not been cleaned in a long time.

Conversation

Have you noticed the sootiness on the windows lately?

Yeah, it’s pretty bad, especially after all the cooking we’ve been doing.

I didn’t realize how much it would build up so quickly.

We should probably clean them before it gets worse!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Sootiness → It is formed from "soot" (from Old English *sōt*, meaning a black substance produced by burning) and "-iness" (meaning the quality of being). The word "sootiness" refers to the quality of being covered in or resembling soot.

Memory Tip

Think of the black substance from burning ('soot') and how the '-iness' suffix indicates a quality. This helps you remember that 'sootiness' means the quality of being covered in soot.

Visually Confused Words