湿(しめ)っぽい

しめっぽい
adjective (i)
damp; humid; gloomy
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present湿(しめ)っぽい湿(しめ)っぽくない
Past湿(しめ)っぽかった湿(しめ)っぽくなかった
て form湿(しめ)っぽくて湿(しめ)っぽくなくて
Adverbial湿(しめ)っぽく
Conditional ば湿(しめ)っぽければ湿(しめ)っぽくなければ
Conditional たら湿(しめ)っぽかったら湿(しめ)っぽくなかったら
1. damp; humid; moist
Physically damp or having too much moisture in the air or on a surface.
梅雨(つゆ)時期(じき)空気(くうき)湿(しめ)っぽい。
The air is damp during the rainy season.
この部屋(へや)湿(しめ)っぽくて、カビが()えやすい。
This room is damp and prone to mold.
布団(ふとん)湿(しめ)っぽいので、天日干(てんぴぼ)しにした。
The futon was damp, so I hung it out in the sun.
2. gloomy; melancholy; dreary
Figuratively, describes a mood, atmosphere, or topic that is depressing or somber.
湿(しめ)っぽい(はなし)はやめよう。
Let's stop with the gloomy talk.
送別会(そうべつかい)なのに湿(しめ)っぽい雰囲気(ふんいき)にはしたくない。
Even though it's a farewell party, I don't want a gloomy atmosphere.
湿(しめ)っぽい映画(えいが)ばかり()ていると、気分(きぶん)まで(しず)む。
If you only watch dreary movies, your mood sinks too.

湿(しめ)っぽい is an i-adjective with both physical and figurative meanings.

FORMS:

  • Adverbial: 湿(しめ)っぽく
  • Negative: 湿(しめ)っぽくない

MEANINGS:
Sense 1 (physical dampness) is the basic meaning — describes air, surfaces, or objects with excess moisture. Sense 2 (gloomy mood) is a natural extension: just as dampness makes things heavy and uncomfortable, a 湿(しめ)っぽい atmosphere weighs on the mood.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 湿(しめ)っぽい空気(くうき): damp air
  • 湿(しめ)っぽい部屋(へや): damp room
  • 湿(しめ)っぽい(はなし): gloomy talk
  • 湿(しめ)っぽい雰囲気(ふんいき): dreary atmosphere

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 湿気(しっけ): humidity, dampness (noun form)
  • じめじめした: damp and sticky (onomatopoeic, physical only)