velvety
Americanadjective
-
suggestive of or resembling velvet; smooth; soft.
velvety rose petals; a velvety voice; a velvety cream sauce.
-
(of liquor) smooth-tasting; mild; mellow.
a velvety Scotch.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of velvety
Explanation
Anything velvety is smooth or soft in some way, like creamy chocolate or a soothing voice. Have you ever felt velvet? It’s one of the smoothest fabrics. That’s why you can use the word velvety not only for things that are like velvet, but for anything smooth, whether it’s a texture, sight, or sound. The soft fur of a puppy is velvety. A lounge singer’s gentle voice is velvety. A drink that goes down easily is velvety. If something is rough, jarring, jagged, or sharp in some way, it’s the opposite of velvety.
Vocabulary lists containing velvety
The House on Mango Street
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All The Feels: Touching Words For Textures
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"The House on Mango Street" and "The Road Not Taken"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Soccer’s velvety, polarizing honcho had the planet begrudgingly tossing confetti at his custom Stan Smiths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
What you’re looking for is that creamy, almost velvety interior that absorbs olive oil so enthusiastically.
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026
Among his accomplishments in L.A. has been to make the opera’s orchestra capable of producing just such velvety, flowing Mozart, as well as terse, tight theater.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
A strikingly potent Frida, Isabel Leonard used her velvety mezzo to find the drama of the artist’s remembered torment as well as the undulating sensuality of her love for painting and colors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
These seats are cushioned and covered in a soft velvety material with a built-in pillow on the headrest.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
