as in silky
smooth or delicate in appearance or feel
the downy surface of a ripe peach
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Recent Examples of downy
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
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
Its large, wall-size windows, their casements painted a downy shade of white, look out across Bedford Street onto a row of old and characterful brownstones, including number 75½, whose façade, at nine and a half feet across, is allegedly the city’s narrowest (and therefore most charming).
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for downy
Charna Flam, People.com, 1 May 2025
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
Its large, wall-size windows, their casements painted a downy shade of white, look out across Bedford Street onto a row of old and characterful brownstones, including number 75½, whose façade, at nine and a half feet across, is allegedly the city’s narrowest (and therefore most charming).
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for downy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downy
Adjective
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Coco Jones leans into soft-glam, using bronzed lids and radiant finishes to complement her silky vocals.—
Essence,
Essence,
27 June 2025
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Soft, stretchy, and silky smooth, AirEssentials is definitely worth the hype.—
Jessica Kasparian,
SELF,
25 June 2025
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
-
That includes things like mapping the profiles of people who could make future leaders, prioritizing growth opportunities for them, and focusing on cultivating softer people skills among this group, along with technical expertise.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
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While investors are hoping for a soft landing in the U.S. economy, how severe might the outcome be if another recession occurs?—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downy. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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