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

There’s even a shaggy-bearded off-islander, an academic expert who has arrived to help find a solution.

— Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026
The shaggy bovines of the plains and boreal forests were nearly hunted to extinction in a frenzy of killing that decimated their population.

— Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 20 July 2026

Definition of shaggy

Adjective

Pair a striped tee with your silky slip skirt, finishing the look with vacation-ready accessories—a raffia tote, flip-flops, and shield sunglasses.

— Alice Cary, Vogue, 24 July 2026
Greek yogurt creates a silky texture, while garlic, lemon juice, cumin, black pepper, and grated nutmeg deliver plenty of flavor.

— Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 23 July 2026

Definition of silky

Adjective

Some plants are less likely to get eaten than others, namely, plants with strong fragrance and to a lesser extent, things that are hairy or heavily textured.

— Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 21 July 2026
Scope 3 is the big, hairy one to get your arms around, but for us Scope 1 is our own operations—not just our stores, but our manufacturing.

— Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 20 July 2026

Definition of hairy

Adjective

Countless insects and other invertebrates Also not surprising is that the Okefenokee, being a swamp, is home to thousands of invertebrate species — butterflies, moths, bees, dragonflies, beetles, spiders and other soft-bodied creatures.

— Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
Pinch-runner Jesus Rodriguez began the 10th at second base and advanced to third on Arraez’s soft single to left.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026

Definition of soft

Adjective

Flavors of black cherry, star anise, and mint are set into downy tannins that linger on the palate.

— Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 17 June 2026
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