billowy

American

[bil-oh-ee] / ˈbɪl oʊ i /

adjective

billowier, billowiest

characterized by or full of billows; surging.

a rough, billowy sea.

billowy British

/ ˈbɪləʊɪ /

adjective

full of or forming billows

a billowy sea

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

billowiness

noun

Etymology

Origin of billowy

First recorded in 1605–15; billow + -y ¹

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.

See Examples For:

billowy

More specifically, Cloud Dancer - a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2025

“Cloud Dancer is a lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. A billowy white imbued with serenity,” they wrote.

From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025

Dressed in baggy jeans and a billowy linen shirt, she sips a green juice as a takeout bag from Sqirl sits next to her on a picnic table.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2025

Models wore collarless jackets and short feminine dresses in pastel colours as well as boxy satin jackets paired with billowy shorts in Friday night's show.

From Reuters ● Sep. 23, 2023

The wide-open building that serves as church and school was built of concrete-block pillars holding up a roof of palm thatch and billowy clouds of scarlet bougainvillea.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023