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
Reviled as rats with wings or, by a slimmer margin, beloved as downy, dirty urban icons, pigeons seem as much a part of New York as its skyline.
—
Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times, 3 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for downy
Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times, 3 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for downy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downy
Adjective
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Imagined herself back in her closet, throwing the silky dress over her head, her arms slipping into the sleeves, the skirt falling over her like water.—
Mona Awad,
New Yorker,
20 July 2025
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Think of dry body oil mists as the 2.0 version of regular body oils—maintaining the same nourishing benefits, while drying down at lightening speed to a weightless finish that leaves skin feeling silky smooth.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
17 July 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
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Expected soft opening: August 2025 Details: 1325 Grand Ave., Suite 6, Phoenix.—
Bahar Anooshahr,
AZCentral.com,
21 July 2025
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The creamy, dual-action formula works to unclog keratin plugs without irritation, leaving areas such as the backs of the arms and thighs feeling noticeably softer.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downy. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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