1
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
2
as in silky
smooth or delicate in appearance or feel
fluffy, cottony hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cottony
An egg mass of the citrus mealybug looks like a small, white, cottony mass on the underside of a leaf.
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2024
There, the thickly forested ranges perched on a shelf of cottony clouds, offering a view of the mountaintop complex modeled after 16th century Vietnamese pagodas, including a 10-story belfry, a network of stone staircases and a giant seated Buddha.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023
Ladybugs have also been introduced to the Galapagos to reduce cottony cushion scale and have been beneficial there as well.
—Susan Pransky, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023
Come springtime, a perimeter of blossoming dogwoods will enfold the clearing in a cottony veil.
—Curbed, 13 Nov. 2022
Buy medium eggplant that is not cottony or bruised.
—The View, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2022
Mealy bugs are distinguished by the white wax covering their body and egg sacs that give them a cottony appearance.
—oregonlive, 11 Nov. 2019
The white, cottony look is due to a waxy coating that conceals the insects and their egg masses.
—Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 29 June 2019
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2024
There, the thickly forested ranges perched on a shelf of cottony clouds, offering a view of the mountaintop complex modeled after 16th century Vietnamese pagodas, including a 10-story belfry, a network of stone staircases and a giant seated Buddha.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023
Ladybugs have also been introduced to the Galapagos to reduce cottony cushion scale and have been beneficial there as well.
—Susan Pransky, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023
Come springtime, a perimeter of blossoming dogwoods will enfold the clearing in a cottony veil.
—Curbed, 13 Nov. 2022
Buy medium eggplant that is not cottony or bruised.
—The View, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2022
Mealy bugs are distinguished by the white wax covering their body and egg sacs that give them a cottony appearance.
—oregonlive, 11 Nov. 2019
The white, cottony look is due to a waxy coating that conceals the insects and their egg masses.
—Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 29 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cottony
Adjective
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This romantically rustic wreath weaves shaggy swags of greenery with white tulips and stalks of berries, then ties it all together with a neat black-and-white bow.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Hashing things out with his tech wizard brother-in-law Maury (a shaggy Guy Pearce), Karsh wonders if ecological protesters or religious groups or competitors are upset with his global expansion plans, which include a lava field in Iceland.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Sinners is one of the great vampire movies of the modern age, mining the legend of these perpetual outsiders who desperately yearn to belong, but whose silky promises are rooted in treachery.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
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Legends Luxury Hewett Luxe Smooth Egyptian Cotton Sateen Bed Sheet Set $349 $279 The Company Store Cotton sateen bed sheets are some of the smoothest, silkiest pieces to sleep on.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Genetically identical neurons that form Meissner corpuscles for picking up vibrations in glabrous skin, for example, also form lanceolate endings for detecting hair movement in hairy skin.—
Ariel Bleicher,
Quanta Magazine,
16 Apr. 2025
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Each one-inch bloom has a hairy purple calyx with two red petals, resembling the face and ears of a bat.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Apr. 2025
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
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The result is soft, luminous skin that’s also protected from a high UV index.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2025
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The frame is made from a soft velvet fabric that’s extremely comfortable to recline on.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Nests can take up to three months to build, and typically contain sticks, grass, moss, cornstalks, lichen, fine woody material, downy feathers and sometimes greenery.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
1 May 2025
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Instead, it was strangely decorated with long downy feathers—making the newborn bird look like a dangerous caterpillar.—
ByErik Stokstad,
science.org,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cottony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cottony. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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