COTTONY Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

cottony

adjective

ˈkät-nē

Definition of cottony

as in shaggy

covered with or as if with hair that gray, cottony spot on the bread is mold

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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

He was done with being shaggy — this would be an album of precision.

— Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
One of the villain’s henchmen was a small, shaggy blue creature with a long drooping snout and a sour expression that lived in a cigar box.

— Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of shaggy

Adjective

Several minutes in garlicky olive oil then transform them into silky ribbons that tangle easily with the pasta.

— Carla Lalli Music, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
To no surprise, celebrity MUA Tina Turnbow relied on Armani Beauty to create Russell’s glam, including the brand’s iconic skinlike foundation, silky concealer, and smoothing primer.

— Anna Traver, InStyle, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of silky

Adjective

Hirta is Latin for hairy, and the plant’s stems do feel rough to the touch.

— Sheryl DeVore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
For millions of years, Pacific mastodons — huge, hairy relatives of modern elephants — roamed a vast and lush range that included California, Oregon, the northern Rocky Mountains and parts of Mexico.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of hairy

Adjective

Paris Baguette serves sweet and savory pastries, wraps, breakfast sandwiches and cakes, including chocolate hazelnut with Nutella, a chocolate mousse, salted caramel layer cake, a blueberry chiffon cake and a strawberry soft cream cake.

— Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026
For those not quite ready to descend immediately into oxbloods, blacks, and vampy winter tones, taupe offers a softer way in.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026