downy

CEFRC1

/ˈdaʊni/

adjective · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Covered with or feeling like soft fine feathers.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Low-spirited; down in the mouth.

Examples

  • A layer of downy frost covered the grass in the early morning light.

  • The duckling's downy feathers made it look like a tiny ball of sunshine.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
4

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Sharp-witted, perceptive.

  2. Having down, covered with a soft fuzzy coating as of small feathers or hair.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A blanket filled with down; a duvet.

More examples

In context

  • The peach's downy skin glowed softly in the summer sun.

  • The chick's downy coat of feathers formed almost immediately to keep it warm.

  • to do the downy (i.e. lie in bed)

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The baby's blank hair felt incredibly soft under the mother's fingertips.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From down + -y.