downier; downiest
1
: resembling a bird's down
2
: covered with down
3
: made of down
4

Examples of downy in a Sentence

the downy surface of a ripe peach
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Plants produce a basal rosette of downy foliage in their first year and flower in the second season, after which the plants typically die out. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025 Reviled as rats with wings or, by a slimmer margin, beloved as downy, dirty urban icons, pigeons seem as much a part of New York as its skyline. Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times, 3 May 2025 Nests can take up to three months to build, and typically contain sticks, grass, moss, cornstalks, lichen, fine woody material, downy feathers and sometimes greenery. Charna Flam, People.com, 1 May 2025 Instead, it was strangely decorated with long downy feathers—making the newborn bird look like a dangerous caterpillar. Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for downy

Word History

First Known Use

1551, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of downy was in 1551

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downy. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

downy

adjective
downier; downiest
1
: resembling a bird's down
2
: covered with or made of down

More from Merriam-Webster on downy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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