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Synonyms

silken

American  
[sil-kuhn] / ˈsɪl kən /

adjective

  1. made of silk.

  2. like silk in smoothness, softness, glossiness, or delicateness.

  3. clad in silk.

  4. smoothly persuasive or ingratiating; mellifluous.

    the senator's silken oratory.

  5. elegant; luxurious.

silken British  
/ ˈsɪlkən /

adjective

  1. made of silk

  2. resembling silk in smoothness or gloss

  3. dressed in silk

  4. soft and delicate

  5. rare luxurious or elegant

"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

Etymology

Origin of silken

before 900; Middle English; Old English seolcen. See silk, -en 2

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.

Not the silken, restaurant version piped into porcelain.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

He brought silken “descending dove” tone to his solo playing, but at low tone becoming more a voice from afar than soloist.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

For dessert, a slice of Basque cheesecake, no crust, just burnt sugar edges and silken center, served with fruit.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

On a cold September morning, Jamie Smart discovered an orb-weaver spider curled up inside its silken hideaway.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025

Down to the last thorn and silken petal.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

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.