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 An elderly woman sitting next to her, who was discreetly trying to re-anchor a tiny velvet hat amid the cottony swirls of her hair, replied with an ironic smile. — CBS News, 29 Oct. 2026 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

The actor and producer has swapped the shaggy, caramel-toned lengths of recent months for a razor-sharp, jaw-grazing cut in a cool-toned shade of blonde.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
Atop the mesh base, most of the overlays are also rendered in shaggy shade for a further emphasis on texture.

— Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of shaggy

Adjective

My dinner began with crisp pork and apple croquettes—delivering all the hearty comfort of a Sunday roast in just a few sweet-and-savory bites—followed by silky slivers of Scottish salmon, cured in-house, of course.

— Liam Hess, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026
The filling is silky and rich, deftly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and tastes unmistakably of pumpkin.

— Rick Martinez, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of silky

Adjective

Two portraits of a woman thought to be Isabella—one by the painter Lorenzo Costa, another attributed to Il Cavazzola or Giulio Campi—depict her with a hairy little white dog, who was perhaps Aura, or, if not, one of her relatives.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
This is executed through the use of varying shades of gray throughout the Field Boot’s upper, which combines a nubuck base with hairy suede overlays and a padded calf leather collar.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of hairy

Adjective

The soft, lightweight layer features ribbed detailing that instantly dresses up classic jeans or trousers.

— Kaitlin Gates, InStyle, 5 Nov. 2026
Its official soft opening took place in December 2021, with a full opening planned for later in 2022 when its restaurant opens.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026