downy

[ dou-nee ]

adjective

, down·i·er, down·i·est.

1. of the nature of or resembling down; fluffy; soft.
2. made of down.
3. covered with down.
4. soft; soothing.

downy

/ ˈdaʊnɪ /

adjective

1. covered with soft fine hair or feathers
2. light, soft, and fluffy
3. made from or filled with down
4. resembling downs; undulating
5. slang.
   sharp-witted; knowing

Derived Forms

• ˈdowniness, noun

Other Words From

• downi·ly adverb
• downi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of downy¹

First recorded in 1540–50; down ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

His earliest memories of fabric were totally sensory, he said, recalling the downy feel of a jamawar shawl at home in Srinagar and the soft warmth of his mother's shahtoosh saris.

From BBC

In warm weather, it’s alive with nuthatches, chickadees, sometimes a downy woodpecker.

From Seattle Times

Disease-resistance abbreviations like A and DM indicate that a plant is resistant to anthracnose and downy mildew respectively, crucial information if your garden has had issues with these.

From Seattle Times

She manages to weave sounds together that shouldn’t quite fit together, finding congruency in her downy melodies and romantic lyricism.

From Seattle Times

"Our hypothesis is that these bladder cells also protect against other plant diseases like downy mildew, a fungal disease which severely limits quinoa yields," says Max Moog.

From Science Daily