polyester: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2neutral
Quick answer
What does “polyester” mean?
A synthetic fabric or fibre, commonly used for clothing and textiles.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A synthetic fabric or fibre, commonly used for clothing and textiles.
A category of durable, often cheap, polymers used for making fibres, resins, and plastics. Can also refer to the specific material made from this polymer, or items (especially clothing) made from it.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling and pronunciation are consistent.
Connotations
Often carries a mildly negative connotation of being cheap, sweaty, or low-quality in casual contexts in both varieties, though this is context-dependent. In technical or retail contexts, it is neutral.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties, given its global use in the textile industry.
Grammar
How to Use “polyester” in a Sentence
[be] made of/from polyestera blend of [X] and polyesterpolyester [NOUN] (attributive use)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “polyester” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- This fabric has been polyesternised for added durability. (rare/technical)
American English
- The company will polyester-coat the fibres. (rare/technical)
adjective
British English
- She wore a rather loud polyester dress to the garden party.
American English
- He bought a cheap polyester tie for the interview.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In retail and manufacturing: 'The new line uses 50% recycled polyester.'
Academic
In materials science or chemistry: 'Polyester resins are thermosetting polymers.'
Everyday
Discussing clothing: 'I prefer cotton; polyester makes me sweat.'
Technical
In textile engineering: 'The warp yarn is a 70/30 polyester-cotton blend.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “polyester”
- Incorrect pluralisation ('polyesters' is rare; it's usually an uncountable noun for the material).
- Misspelling as 'polyster' or 'polyestor'.
- Using it as a countable noun for a single item: 'I bought a polyester' (incorrect) vs 'I bought a polyester shirt' (correct).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Polyester is entirely synthetic. It is a man-made polymer derived from petroleum.
Its main advantages are durability, resistance to wrinkling and shrinking, quick drying time, and low cost compared to many natural fibres.
No, it is almost exclusively a noun (for the material) or an adjective (describing something made from it). Technical or industrial coinages like 'polyester-coat' are extremely rare.
Its low production cost and widespread use in mass-produced, low-quality clothing in the past created this association. However, high-quality, technical polyesters are now common in performance wear.
A synthetic fabric or fibre, commonly used for clothing and textiles.
Polyester is usually neutral in register.
Polyester: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpɒl.iˈes.tər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌpɑː.liˈes.tɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Polyester paradise (derogatory, for a place or situation seen as tacky or cheap)”
- “The polyester decade (referring to the 1970s fashion).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a POLYester shirt: you wear it to a party (POLY as in 'many' people) but it might make you sweat and STRESS you out (ESTER sounds like 'stress'). Poly + ester.
Conceptual Metaphor
CHEAPNESS IS SYNTHETIC (Polyester is often metaphorically linked to artificiality and low cost, as opposed to the 'authenticity' and 'quality' of natural materials).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'polyester' most likely to have a negative connotation?