powdery

adjective

pow·​dery ˈpau̇-də-rē 

1

a

: resembling or consisting of powder

powdery snow

b

: easily reduced to powder : crumbling

2

: covered with or as if with powder

Synonyms of powdery

• dusty
• fine

Examples of powdery in a Sentence

the beach's powdery white sand

We skied down the powdery slopes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ketamine comes in both liquid and powder form, and Jane Doe alleges she was forced to snort a white, powdery substance that she was told was ketamine. — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026

Besides the powdery purple shade, most purple bottoms feature a beautiful deep grape hue that works similarly to styling a navy or chocolate brown. — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026

And although Miami won the de facto opener at the Los Angeles Chargers, 19-17, the Dolphins had an assistant coach scandal that involved the coach sending a video to a woman that wasn’t his wife, and the coach snorting a powdery white substance. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026

Check whether the leather is powdery, flaking, cracking, unusually stiff, or transferring color onto a clean white cloth. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing powdery

• powdery mildew

Kids Definition

powdery

adjective

pow·​dery ˈpau̇d-ə-rē 

1

a

: resembling or consisting of powder

b

: easily made into a powder : crumbly

2

: covered with or as if with powder : dusty