Gooey means soft, sticky, and thick in a way that clings and stretches. Think of fresh caramel oozing over an apple, or melted cheese stretching between a slice of pizza and your mouth. That sticky, clingy texture is gooey.

The word usually describes food: gooey brownies with melted chocolate chips, gooey marshmallows toasted over a campfire, or the gooey center of a warm cinnamon roll. But it can describe other sticky substances too, like paint that hasn't dried yet or mud that squelches between your toes.

Gooey often suggests something pleasantly soft and messy, especially with desserts. When a recipe promises “gooey chocolate chip cookies,” it means they'll be delightfully soft in the middle, not crispy all the way through. Sometimes the word describes something unpleasantly sticky, like stepping in gooey gum on the sidewalk, but mostly it carries a warm, indulgent feeling.