downy

American  

[dou-nee] / ˈdaʊ ni /

adjective

downier, downiest

1. of the nature of or resembling down; fluffy; soft.

2. made of down.

3. covered with down.

4. soft; soothing.

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downy British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• downily adverb
• downiness noun

Etymology

Origin of downy

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 • Nov. 1, 2024

"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 • Nov. 22, 2023

The Italian government last month allocated a modest one million euros to help grape producers hurt by downy mildew.

From Reuters • Sep. 15, 2023

Unlike their parents, whose sleek black-and-white feathers seal their skin against the frigid ocean, chicks’ downy plumage isn’t waterproof.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2023

But Hermes met me, with his golden wand, barring the way—a boy whose lip was downy in the first bloom of manhood, so he seemed.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer