Rubbery describes something that feels, looks, or behaves like rubber: stretchy, bouncy, and often a bit tough or chewy. When you cook chicken for too long, it can turn rubbery instead of tender. When you leave a piece of chewing gum out overnight, it becomes hard and rubbery. A rubber band is, of course, perfectly rubbery by design.

The word often suggests something isn't quite right. If your pasta is rubbery, you probably overcooked it. If your legs feel rubbery after running a long race, they're weak and wobbly, almost like they might collapse. But rubbery isn't always negative: a good eraser needs to be rubbery to work well, and squid is naturally rubbery even when cooked perfectly.

You might describe a bouncy ball as rubbery, or say that your aunt's homemade caramels have a pleasantly rubbery texture. The word captures that specific combination of flexibility and resistance that makes rubber so useful, whether you're describing an actual rubber object or something that just reminds you of one.