silken

adjective silk·en \ ˈsil-kən \

Definition of silken

1 :made or consisting of silk

2 :resembling silk: such as

a :soft, lustrous

b (1) :agreeably smooth :harmonious

a silken voice

(2) :suave, ingratiating

3 a :dressed in silk

silken ankles

b :having a richly luxurious quality

the same silken surroundings encountered at the restaurant's far more expensive evening meal
—Elaine Tait

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Examples of silken in a Sentence

the silken texture of the synthetic fabric
she was unaccustomed to living in such silken surroundings

Recent Examples of silken from the Web

The slices are nearly translucent, silken to the tongue, and that perfect balance of salt and sea.

— Los Angeles Magazine, "This Deli Is Smoking up the Best Lox in LA Because We All Need a Little Nosh," 31 July 2017
But unlike his close friend and colleague Frank Sinatra, Bennett in his youth never was a purveyor of a silken sound, instead offering a sinewy tone and quasi-operatic delivery.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Tony Bennett preps for 91st birthday concert at Ravinia," 18 July 2017
The slices are nearly translucent, silken to the tongue, and that perfect balance of salt and sea. 24.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
The leitmotif of small cone hats and sensual face veils gave the silken 61-piece show a feel for the theatricality of the 1920s.

— patrick cooley, cleveland.com, "Rusted Root coming to Cleveland," 6 July 2017
Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson also attended the silken display, alongside actress Kristin Scott Thomas.

— thomas adamson, The Seattle Times, "Fendi stuns with Jenner and Hadid fur show to cap couture," 5 July 2017
The leitmotif of small cone hats and sensual face veils gave the silken 61-piece show a feel for the theatricality of the 1920s.

— Bloomberg.com, "Chanel Aims High With Starry 'Eiffel Tower' Paris Show," 4 July 2017
Cellist Albers was especially intense in her cantando solos in the second movement, and violinist Schwartz Moretti played with rich and silken tone.

— special to the plain dealer, cleveland.com, "ChamberFest Cleveland leaves deep impression with Shostakovich in rare transcription (review)," 30 June 2017
Sneakers with thick North African-style threading were imagined in a multicolored palette below a silken green tracksuit with thick white Balkan-style seams.

— Washington Post, "Valentino headlines first day of Paris Fashion Week menswear," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'silken.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of silken

before 12th century

silken Synonyms

Synonyms

cottony, downy, satin, satiny, soft, silklike, silky, velvetlike, velvety

Antonyms

coarse, harsh, rough, scratchy

Related Words

creamy; chiffon, delicate, fine, slick; ultrasoft

Near Antonyms

bumpy, irregular, jagged, lumpy, pebbly; broken, jagged, ragged, roughened, rugged, scraggy; grainy, granular, gritty

SILKEN Defined for English Language Learners

silken

adjective

Definition of silken for English Language Learners

: made of silk or a cloth that is like silk
: smooth, soft, and shiny like silk
of food : smooth, soft, and rich

SILKEN Defined for Kids

silken

adjective silk·en \ ˈsil-kən \

Definition of silken for Students

1 :made of or with silk

a silken scarf

2 :having a soft and smooth look or feel

silken hair

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for silken Spanish Central: Translation of silken Nglish: Translation of silken for Spanish speakers

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SILKEN Defined for English Language Learners

silken

Definition of silken for English Language Learners

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