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metallic
Having the property or appearance of metal; shining or shimmering like metal.
example
Das Auto hat eine moderne Lackierung in einem Metallic-Grau.
The car has a modern paint finish in metallic gray.
metallic
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'metallic' derives directly from the noun 'das Metall' (metal). It describes properties that are typical of metal, such as shine or a particular sound.
EXAMPLE
Der Roboter hatte eine glänzende, metallische Oberfläche.
The robot had a shiny, metallic surface.
Appearance or sound?
You can tell from context whether 'metallic' describes an appearance or a sound. Words like 'Farbe' (color), 'Lack' (paint), or 'Glanz' (shine) point to the visual meaning, while 'Klang' (sound), 'Stimme' (voice), or 'Geräusch' (noise) point to the acoustic meaning.
EXAMPLE
Die metallic-grüne Farbe des Fahrrads schimmert in der Sonne.
The metallic green color of the bicycle shimmers in the sun.
As a color description
In the visual meaning, 'metallic' is very often used as part of a color term, especially for car paint. It often comes directly before the actual color and is connected with a hyphen.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich ein neues Auto in Metallic-Schwarz gekauft.
He bought himself a new car in metallic black.
Compare with
metallic vs matt
weak / matte
'matt' and 'metallic' are opposites when describing the appearance of surfaces. 'matt' means that a surface does not shine and does not reflect. 'metallic' describes a metallic shine or shimmer, like metal. So when talking about paint, color, or material, 'matt' tends to look calm and dull, while 'metallic' tends to look shiny and eye-catching.
metallic
Das neue Fahrrad meiner Nachbarin hat eine blaue Metallic-Farbe.
My neighbor’s new bicycle has a blue metallic finish.
matt
Frau Hoffmann wählt für die Küche einen matten Lack ohne Glanz.
Mrs. Hoffmann chooses a matte paint finish without shine for the kitchen.
In real life
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