silky
Americanadjective
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of or like silk; smooth, lustrous, soft, or delicate.
silky skin.
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Botany. covered with fine, soft, closely set hairs, as a leaf.
adjective
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resembling silk in texture; glossy
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made of silk
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(of a voice, manner, etc) suave; smooth
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botany covered with long fine soft hairs
silky leaves
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of silky
Explanation
Silky is an adjective describing something smooth, soft, and glossy — like your friend's silky hair or the silky fabric of a formal gown. Silky is a textural description, and it can be used to describe food, fabric, or hair. The word can also be used to describe vocal textures, as well. Someone might say about Frank Sinatra, "His silky smooth voice and his innovative lyrics will be around for quite some time."
Vocabulary lists containing silky
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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American Street
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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.
What you’re after is contrast: some texture left intact, some turned silky, the whole thing feeling more cohesive.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
You’re saying that’s a modern song with those silky yacht rock chords.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
One of those enjoying the input of Fiji's most-capped player is 16-year-old Maikah Dau, a softly spoken, silky midfielder whose father played alongside Krishna in the national team.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
Someone instructs you to tear off pieces and dip them in the accompanying guava and plantain chutneys, silky chickpea curry and punchy pepper jelly, pooled around a peninsula of tangy cultured butter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
Cowled in their blankets against the cold and their breath smoking, shuffling through the black and silky drifts.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
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.
