1
as in shaggy
covered with or as if with hair
that gray, cottony spot on the bread is mold
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silky
smooth or delicate in appearance or feel
fluffy, cottony hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cottony
An egg mass of the citrus mealybug looks like a small, white, cottony mass on the underside of a leaf.
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2024
There, the thickly forested ranges perched on a shelf of cottony clouds, offering a view of the mountaintop complex modeled after 16th century Vietnamese pagodas, including a 10-story belfry, a network of stone staircases and a giant seated Buddha.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023
Ladybugs have also been introduced to the Galapagos to reduce cottony cushion scale and have been beneficial there as well.
—Susan Pransky, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023
Come springtime, a perimeter of blossoming dogwoods will enfold the clearing in a cottony veil.
—Curbed, 13 Nov. 2022
Buy medium eggplant that is not cottony or bruised.
—The View, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2022
Mealy bugs are distinguished by the white wax covering their body and egg sacs that give them a cottony appearance.
—oregonlive, 11 Nov. 2019
The white, cottony look is due to a waxy coating that conceals the insects and their egg masses.
—Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 29 June 2019
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2024
There, the thickly forested ranges perched on a shelf of cottony clouds, offering a view of the mountaintop complex modeled after 16th century Vietnamese pagodas, including a 10-story belfry, a network of stone staircases and a giant seated Buddha.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023
Ladybugs have also been introduced to the Galapagos to reduce cottony cushion scale and have been beneficial there as well.
—Susan Pransky, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023
Come springtime, a perimeter of blossoming dogwoods will enfold the clearing in a cottony veil.
—Curbed, 13 Nov. 2022
Buy medium eggplant that is not cottony or bruised.
—The View, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2022
Mealy bugs are distinguished by the white wax covering their body and egg sacs that give them a cottony appearance.
—oregonlive, 11 Nov. 2019
The white, cottony look is due to a waxy coating that conceals the insects and their egg masses.
—Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 29 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cottony
Adjective
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And yet the series is less a document of careful sleuthing and more a shaggy chronicle of teen-like longing for revelation and salvation.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Another farm experience is Kitchen Coos & Ewes, a safari-like tour of a farm in southwest Scotland with shaggy Highland cows and a record-breaking flock of beltex sheep.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This silky moisturizer is clinically proven to shorten your skin’s adjustment period to retinoids while reducing dryness with a barrier-restoring blend of lipids—specifically ceramides, natural cholesterol, and fatty acids.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2025
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The velvet texture keeps even silky fabrics in place.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Stunning images from the Underwater Photographer of the Year contest Fighting fish, thirsty camels and hairy shrimp are all featured among the winning images of the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN,
21 Feb. 2025
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The lack of dihydrotestosterone receptors across the rest of our bodies explains why these areas can remain hairy even after our hairlines have lost their fight against these hormonal changes.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Pop a satin version on top of your usual night-out curls to make the 'do feel glamorous.—
Jasmine Washington,
Seventeen,
18 Jan. 2023
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From satin pillowcases to a hydrating moisturizer, all of these products are on sale for less than $25.—
Isabel Garcia,
Peoplemag,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Rande, 62, matched his wife's and daughter's soft elegance by wearing a classic black tux with a white collared shirt and back tie.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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The cushioning and padding are excellent, and the soft fabric provides even more comfort.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Its large, wall-size windows, their casements painted a downy shade of white, look out across Bedford Street onto a row of old and characterful brownstones, including number 75½, whose façade, at nine and a half feet across, is allegedly the city’s narrowest (and therefore most charming).—
Helen Rosner,
The New Yorker,
2 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cottony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cottony. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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