metamorphic

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌmɛtəˈmɔɹfɪk/ UK /ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #102956

Meanings

1

adj
relating to rock altered by intense heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids without fully melting

Marble is a metamorphic rock formed when limestone is transformed by heat and pressure.
2

adj
involving or characterized by a profound change in form, nature, or structure

The crisis had a metamorphic effect on the institution's purpose.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · relating to rock altered by... metamorphosedaltered

2 adj · involving or characterized... transformativetransmutative

Opposites

unchanged unaltered

Word family

Derived forms metamorphicallypolymetamorphiccontact-metamorphic

Related forms metamorphism metamorphosis marble gneiss

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

metamorphic rock
rock transformed by heat or pressure

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Formed from metamorphosis or metamorphose + -ic. Those words come through Latin from Greek metamorphosis, 'transformation,' built from meta- ('change') + morphe ('form'). Geology gave the adjective a specialized sense for solid rock transformed by heat, pressure, or fluids.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# metamorphic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌmɛtəˈmɔɹfɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 102956

## Meanings
1. relating to rock altered by intense heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids without fully melting
2. involving or characterized by a profound change in form, nature, or structure

## Examples
- Marble is a metamorphic rock formed when limestone is transformed by heat and pressure.
- The crisis had a metamorphic effect on the institution's purpose.

## Synonyms
- metamorphosed
- altered
- transformative
- transmutative

## Antonyms
- unchanged
- unaltered

## Derived Forms
- metamorphically
- polymetamorphic
- contact-metamorphic

## Related Forms
- metamorphism
- metamorphosis
- marble
- gneiss

## Etymology
Formed from metamorphosis or metamorphose + -ic. Those words come through Latin from Greek metamorphosis, 'transformation,' built from meta- ('change') + morphe ('form'). Geology gave the adjective a specialized sense for solid rock transformed by heat, pressure, or fluids.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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