Synonyms

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.

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

The icing has melted down the sides and pooled around the billowy cream.

From Salon • Sep. 12, 2024

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

As Adameyko carefully dissected it, he noticed billowy outer parts, which Minemizu’s footage captured propelling the strange creature, attached to the flat side of a brown hemisphere.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 21, 2023

She’s dressed to the nines like always, in a color-splashed Floating Dress that makes her look like a billowy sunset, and enormous tortoiseshell movie-star sunglasses.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

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