reedy

Reedy is an English adjective with several related senses. It can describe something that resembles or is made like reeds, such as the tall, slender grasses that grow in wetland environments. It can also describe a sound or voice that is thin, high-pitched, or piercing, characteristic of reed instruments.

In botany and ecology, reedy refers to plants with the growth form of reeds, typically tall, slender grasses that thrive in wetlands, marshes, riverbanks, and lake shores. Common examples include the common reed (Phragmites australis) and giant reed (Arundo donax). Reedy vegetation often forms dense stands that influence habitat structure and hydrology.

In music and acoustics, reedy describes a timbre resembling a reed instrument—thin and somewhat sharp or woody. The term is frequently used in descriptions of voices and wind instruments when the sound lacks fullness or has a biting edge. It also appears in discussions of the tone produced by instruments such as clarinets or oboes, whose sound is shaped by vibrating reeds.

Other usage extends to metaphorical descriptions of anything slender or wiry, or to textures that resemble the appearance or movement of reeds. Etymologically, reedy derives from reed, the plant, with the adjectival suffix -y.