Having the flavor or smell of game meat (wild animals hunted for food), often with a somewhat strong or rank quality.
From 'game' (wild animals hunted for food) with suffix '-y'; the meaning evolved in the 18th century from simply 'of or resembling game' to include the distinctive strong flavor characteristic of wild meat.
Game meat tastes 'gamey' because wild animals eat wild diets and exercise constantly, making their meat darker, stronger, and funkier than farm-raised animals—which is why some people love it and others find it gross.
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