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
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
-
Some shaggy buffalo drowsed in a patch of shade, and a hose fed water into a large puddle where a white goose paddled in tight circles.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Burtka sported a shaggy hairstyle and a black coat, adding a red tie.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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First, the tuna will have a silkier, richer texture.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
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Dimethicone gives the formula its silky texture while trimethylsiloxysilicate locks the color in place for long-lasting wear (without drying out the lips).—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
The question of true or false became a sensation in 1967 with the famous film shot by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in the Pacific Northwest, capturing a hairy figure ambling through a Northern California wood.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
-
Key differences include hollow versus solid stems, branched versus single stems and hairy versus smooth leaves.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 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
-
All German Pilsner malt, super soft water profile like that in a Czech pale lager, and 100% US-grown hops with a touch of flaked corn.—
Blaine Callahan,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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And inside the adjacent soft pretzel shop, two workers leaned over on the counter, watching videos on a phone to pass the time.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
This vigorous grower has soft, downy leaves in 12-inch mounds and starry, yellow-green flowers that emerge above them in summer.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
5 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 16 May. 2026.
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