pulpy

adjective

ˈpəl-pē 

pulpier; pulpiest

1

a

: of, relating to, or containing pulp

pulpy orange juice

They are bigger—the size of cultivated blueberries—and have pulpy flesh and skin the purple-black color of eggplant.

—Corby Kummer

b

: resembling pulp : soft and yielding

… I know women at my gym who diet all the time and endure five calisthenics classes a week and still have pulpy thighs and no waistline.

—Helen Dudar

2

: relating to, suggestive of, or characterized by the sensational subject matter or tone of pulp fiction (see pulp entry 1 sense 4)

… a fairly chilling, spooky meditation on parenthood, guilt, dirty little secrets and community—a pulpy … immorality play.

—David Wild

In reality, I'm a writer, with six pulpy thrillers under my belt …

—Ben Mezrich

pulpiness

ˈpəl-pē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• fleshy
• juicy
• succulent

Examples of pulpy in a Sentence

good, ripe peaches will be pulpy and not mealy

the pulpy flesh of ripe fruit

Recent Examples on the Web

For the 1991 update, Robert De Niro turns the terror up even higher for his take on Cady, and Scorsese puts out a bare-knuckle thriller that’s pulpier than almost anything else in his repertoire. —Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2024

In leaning even further into the pulpiest aspects of the B:TAS aesthetic, Caped Crusader is a joy to look at. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2024

Alia Atreides is a key figure in Dune Messiah, Frank Herbert’s wild and pulpier sequel to Dune, though her role in this film is actually cut down from what happens in the novel. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2024

These are powerful tools for filmmakers who play around in the pulpier genres. —Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

pulpy

adjective

ˈpəl-pē

pulpier; pulpiest

: resembling or consisting of pulp

pulpiness noun

Medical Definition

pulpy

adjective

ˈpəl-pē 

pulpier; pulpiest

: resembling or consisting of pulp

a pulpy mass