downy

American  

[dau-nee] / ˈdaʊ ni /

adjective

• downier,
  comparative
• downiest
  superlative

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

Derived Forms

• downiness
  noun
• downily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• downier
  comparative
• downiest
  superlative

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Etymology

Origin of downy

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

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Explanation

Things that are downy are very soft and fluffy. Babies are sometimes born with little tufts of downy hair on their heads. A teenage boy who wants to grow a beard will be frustrated by the downy hairs on his chin, and you could also describe the feeling of a peach as downy. When you rip your winter coat, the downy feathers inside might start floating out behind you in a trail wherever you go. These are also known as down, or the soft feathers that typically grow on a young bird — this is the origin, in fact, of downy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

downy downier downiest

It has been trying to restore the woodlands by introducing downy birch, sessile oak, hazel, willow, aspen and alder as well as endangered tree species such as Arran whitebeam.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2025

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 ● Jan. 12, 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

I turned my face toward her downy head and breathed in the baby scent of her.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

You always must have been a precious sight downier than I thought.

From Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks Book Number Fifteen in the Jack Harkaway Series by Bracebridge Hemyng

Hibermate The interior of this handcrafted sleep mask feels like it's stitched out of the downiest fleece, while the satin exterior slips easily against surfaces so the Hibermate stays put if you toss and turn.

From Time Magazine Archive

Scrambling out, "head-over-heels," she rushed into her mother's arms, as fresh and rosy from her after-dinner nap as though she had been rocked in the downiest cradle in the land.

From Dew Drops, Vol. 37, No. 16, April 19, 1914 by George E. Cook

This in a civilized city where hundreds of dogs with jeweled collars slept in luxurious rooms on downiest beds and had servants to wait upon them!

From Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise by David Graham Phillips

In the nest there were a dozen of the daintiest, downiest, little creatures he had ever seen.

From The Magic Speech Flower or Little Luke and His Animal Friends by Melvin Hix

Thirteen little chickens, downiest ever seen, And joyous little Top-knot proud as any queen!

From The Nursery, September 1877, Vol. XXII, No. 3 A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers by Various

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