Downy

'daʊni

adjectivemedium📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning2 questions

Definitions

1

Covered with fine, soft hairs or down, like the feathers of a young bird.

'daʊni

adjectivepositivemedium
General

Covered with soft, fine hairs or feathers.

The baby bird had soft, downy feathers.

💡 Simply: Imagine a super soft, fluffy blanket. That's what downy means! Like the fuzz on a peach or the tiny feathers on a baby bird – so delicate and gentle!

👶 For kids: Soft and fluffy like baby bird feathers!

More Examples

2

The peach had a downy skin.

3

She gently stroked the downy fur of the kitten.

How It's Used

Nature

"The baby ducklings were covered in downy feathers."

Botany

"The peach had a downy skin."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Antonyms

From Middle English *douny*, from Old English *dūne* ('down') + -*y* (adjective suffix). Related to words describing soft, fluffy substances.

The word has been used for centuries to describe softness and fineness, especially in connection to birds and plants.

Memory tip

Think of a baby bird's fluffy feathers.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"soft, fine hair/down"

Base: down
downy feathersdowny skindowny leaves

Common misspellings

dounydowney

Usage

0.4%Spoken
0.6%Written