as in silky
smooth or delicate in appearance or feel
the downy surface of a ripe peach
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downy
It’s called lanugo, which is a downy hair that appears on the skin.
—
Leia Mendoza, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Well, for starters, cashmere comes from the downy undercoat of specific breeds of goats.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2025
He is still covered in downy feathers and scrambles about on skinny legs, not yet ready to take flight.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025
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, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downy
Leia Mendoza, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Well, for starters, cashmere comes from the downy undercoat of specific breeds of goats.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2025
He is still covered in downy feathers and scrambles about on skinny legs, not yet ready to take flight.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025
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, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downy
Adjective
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The top’s crewneck style looks similar to your favorite sweatshirts, but with a lighter fabric meant to feel airy and silky (while still staying warm).—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
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The tiniest dollop applied to my wet hair from the mid-strands down gave me soft, touchable, silky, defined, and frizz-free curls.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Pop a satin version on top of your usual night-out curls to make the 'do feel glamorous.—
Jasmine Washington,
Seventeen,
18 Jan. 2023
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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 team aimed to recreate this kind of dynamic control in a soft, synthetic material using digital design rather than complex biological systems.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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The village range will include a hybrid hoodie combining a soft fleece front with a ripstop nylon back, displaying a tricolor mountain motif, as well as a T-shirt designed as a nod to the Paris Games in 2024 and a recycled polyester sherpa.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downy. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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