silken

adjective

ˈsil-kən How to pronounce silken (audio)
Definition of silkennext
1
as in silky
smooth or delicate in appearance or feel the silken texture of the synthetic fabric

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in luxurious
showing obvious signs of wealth and comfort she was unaccustomed to living in such silken surroundings

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 silken This silken combination is then slipped into a housemade everything bagel, which provides just enough chew to offset the fluffy scramble. — Warren Rojas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026 Go boho-western with some camel suede or softer with silken threads. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026 The pair even posed atop a set of the villa’s ancient stairs, which were draped with a silken pink fabric and dotted with flowers. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 The other is always saffron-rosewater, which is sunshine-yellow, heady as a summer garden, and lusciously silken in texture. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for silken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silken
  1. silky
  2. luxurious
  3. satin
  4. luxuriant
  5. soft
  6. deluxe
  7. luxury
Adjective
  • Dishes like silky linguini with clams and sweet cherry tomatoes served with fresh burrata still linger in memory.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Flavorless but crisp-enough crust, silky smooth pumpkin filling.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of silky
Adjective
  • After decades of neglect and subsequent disrepair, it was recently restored into a luxurious one-bedroom retreat that honors its historic roots while embracing contemporary amenities like a king bed, an en-suite bathroom, and a sleek living area.
    — Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The result was a journey that allowed the guests to experience some of the planet’s last truly wild places in a way that felt adventurous, luxurious, and safe.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of luxurious
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
Definition of satin
Adjective
  • Olivia Miles, the rookie point guard for the Minnesota Lynx, wears a pair of bug-eyed sports goggles, black and bulbous, sometimes held in place by a thick strap that runs through her luxuriant Afro.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • At the end of the fifth group, one girl’s face blossomed into a radiant flower, and another drew herself with luxuriant pigtails, standing beneath a bright red beating heart.
    — James Gordon, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of luxuriant
Adjective
  • Writing diaristic, country-leaning soft-rock, Stiltz also touches on the work of David Berman and Bill Callahan.
    — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The carbon covers the grip, the thumb rest, and the soft-release button, the spots a photographer touches most.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of soft
Adjective
  • My deluxe room on the second floor had high ceilings and views of the Swiss Institute across the street.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • All five extra songs will be available in a standalone vinyl edition, as well as in a deluxe 2CD edition and across all digital formats.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of deluxe
Adjective
  • But two segments of the market — ultra-luxury homes and more affordable condos — were still going strong in September, according to new data from the Miami Association of Realtors.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Ultra-luxury all-inclusive Regent Seven Seas Cruises will inaugurate its full-winter Mediterranean program this year—with pricing inclusive of excursions, food, beverages, and amenities like Wi-Fi.
    — Brittany Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of luxury

Browse Nearby Words

silhouetting
silken
silk hat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Silken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silken. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of emissary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All