Sandy describes something that contains sand, is covered with sand, or has qualities similar to sand. A sandy beach is scattered with loose grains of sand that get between your toes. Sandy soil in a garden feels gritty and drains water quickly because it's mixed with small rock particles. If you come home from the beach with sandy shoes, you'll leave a trail of little grains across the floor.

The word can also describe a pale yellowish-brown color, like the color of sand itself. Someone might have sandy hair, meaning it's a light brownish-blonde shade. A sandy cat might have fur the color of beach sand.

When something feels sandy, it has that characteristic grittiness: rough and slightly scratchy to the touch. If you bite into a sandwich at the beach and it tastes sandy, you've learned why people pack their food carefully on windy beach days. That gritty texture is unmistakable, whether you're finding sand in your pockets days after a trip to the shore or rinsing it out of beach toys at the end of summer.