1
as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair
that gray, cottony spot on the bread is mold
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silky
smooth or delicate in appearance or feel
fluffy, cottony hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cottony
Mealybugs look like cottony white masses, scale insects appear as brown bumps on the leaves, and spider mites leave sticky webbing behind.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
For this new fleece, AG is using the type of longer-staple cotton fibers found in soft cottony things like fancy dress shirts and expensive bedsheets.
—Michael Calore, Wired News, 16 Dec. 2025
Indoors, window dressings create dioramas of glittering reindeer, silvery elves and Saint Nicks and traditional nutcrackers framed with greenery, icicles and cottony snow.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 2 Dec. 2025
Those without leaves store water in their stems.) Check the plants for disease and infestations, including mealy bugs, which look like a cottony, white substance, and powdery mildew, which initially appears as white circles on leaves and stems.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2025
These small insects have a waxy, white, cottony appearance and can usually be found in clusters on the underside of leaves and in stem joints.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2025
Behind him, a little further down, a cottony mist is spreading between folds in the hills, a white fog on red earth, the sea has disappeared.
—Literary Hub, 19 May 2025
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
For this new fleece, AG is using the type of longer-staple cotton fibers found in soft cottony things like fancy dress shirts and expensive bedsheets.
—Michael Calore, Wired News, 16 Dec. 2025
Indoors, window dressings create dioramas of glittering reindeer, silvery elves and Saint Nicks and traditional nutcrackers framed with greenery, icicles and cottony snow.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 2 Dec. 2025
Those without leaves store water in their stems.) Check the plants for disease and infestations, including mealy bugs, which look like a cottony, white substance, and powdery mildew, which initially appears as white circles on leaves and stems.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2025
These small insects have a waxy, white, cottony appearance and can usually be found in clusters on the underside of leaves and in stem joints.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2025
Behind him, a little further down, a cottony mist is spreading between folds in the hills, a white fog on red earth, the sea has disappeared.
—Literary Hub, 19 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cottony
Adjective
-
That charming and shaggy approach is fitting for such a campy and irreverent comedy, ultimately substituting polish for an equal mixture of artistic grit and careless joy.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
-
Last Wednesday, the hotel was swarmed with guys sporting shaggy haircuts, all looking like Geese frontman Cameron Winter.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
As lasers sliced through smoke billowing from the stage, frontman Tyrone Lindqvist's silky falsetto floated over a sea of festivalgoers stretching far, far, far beyond the soundboard.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
Al Bello—Getty Images Hart caught a break when Wemby, usually so silky at the foul line, missed a pair.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
People had expectations of Mike Myers, because of SNL and Wayne’s World — not everybody was going along with this idea of the bad teeth, hairy body and taking the piss out of Bond.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
-
Carpet beetle larvae are usually about 1/8-inch long, tan, and covered in hairy bristles.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Pop a satin version on top of your usual night-out curls to make the 'do feel glamorous.—
Jasmine Washington,
Seventeen,
18 Jan. 2023
-
From satin pillowcases to a hydrating moisturizer, all of these products are on sale for less than $25.—
Isabel Garcia,
Peoplemag,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
But so do bursts of color, softer fabrics and strange patterns.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
Puff sleeves, a scalloped hem, lace trim, and eyelet detailing give this top a soft, feminine edge.—
Jill Layton,
PEOPLE,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Plants produce a basal rosette of downy foliage in their first year and flower in the second season, after which the plants typically die out.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
-
The following season, Jackie was tending two downy babies — BBB (Big Bear Baby) and Stormy.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cottony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cottony. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
