bubbly

English

Etymology

From bubble +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʌbli/, /ˈbʌbəli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌbli

Adjective

bubbly (comparative bubblier, superlative bubbliest)

1. Full of bubbles.

   Whip the egg white into a bubbly froth.

2. (informal) Cheerful, lively.

   Synonyms: ebullient, (similar image) perky

   She has a bubbly personality.

   • 2024 July 12, Dominique Soguel, “How Portugal became a world leader in fighting drug addiction”, in The Christian Science Monitor:

     “Our priority is to make relationships with people,” says Mariana Gomes, a bubbly social worker who methodically jots down whom she meets and what they need in a giant binder.

   • 2025 January 15, Kashmir Hill, “She Is in Love With ChatGPT”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Outgoing and bubbly, she quickly made friends in her new town.

3. Having the characteristics of bubbles.

   The architecture of the conservatory was bubbly.

4. (economics) Having the characteristics of economic bubbles.
   • 2011 July 2, Iana Dreyer, “China’s coming era of slower growth: Are western economies prepared?”, in East Asia Forum‎^[2]:

     China’s economy is too bubbly and will soon slow down.

Synonyms

• (full of bubbles): fizzy, sparkling; see also Thesaurus:effervescent

Derived terms

• bubbliness
• nonbubbly

Translations

full of bubbles

• Finnish: kupliva
• Maori: mirumiru (referring to a carbonated drink)

cheerful, lively

• Esperanto: gaja (eo)
• Finnish: eloisa (fi)
• Galician: alegre (gl), animado (gl)
• Portuguese: alegre (pt) m or f, feliz (pt) m or f, vivo (pt) m, animado (pt) m
• Swedish: sprudlande (sv)

having the characteristics of bubbles

• Finnish: kuplamainen (fi)

ready to burst

• Finnish: räjähtämäisillään (infinitive form)

economics: having the characteristics of economic bubbles

• Finnish: kupla- (fi)

Noun

bubbly (countable and uncountable, plural bubblies)

1. (informal) Champagne.

   Synonyms: bub, bubbles, champers, fizz, shampoo

   We're getting married–this calls for a bottle of bubbly!

   • 2007, L. A. Banks, The Cursed, St. Martin's Griffin, →ISBN:

     “ […] Maybe some bubbly for the ladies, since we just bought the house of life, and break camp . . . since they are very appreciative that things got wrapped up so fast.”

Translations

term for champagne which is derived from its bubbles

• Finnish: kupliva, kuplajuoma (fi)
• Swedish: bubbel (sv) n

See also

• bubbly-jock
• hubbly bubbly

Further reading

• “bubbly”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.