Other forms: sootily; sootiest; sootier
After a harsh winter, the chimney of a frequently used fireplace might be especially sooty, covered in dark ashes from all of the fires that burned within.
Sooty describes anything coated with or similar to soot — the fine, black particles produced by burning organic matter like wood or coal. Sooty surfaces can be messy and difficult to clean, and they often signal incomplete combustion or pollution. In stories, characters with sooty faces or clothes might be chimney sweeps or coal miners. The word can also be used to describe particularly dark shades of black.