downy C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈdaʊni/ UK /ˈdaʊni/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj covered with or resembling soft fine feathers or hair The chick's downy feathers had not yet given way to plumage. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · covered with or resembling... fluffysoftfeatheryfuzzyvelvetysilky ↔ Opposites coarseroughbristly Word family Forms downily Derived forms downiness Related forms down Etymology AI details From 'down' (soft fine feathers or hair) + the adjectival suffix '-y'. The noun 'down' in this sense is from Old Norse 'dúnn' ('down feathers'). dúnn Old Norse View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # downy **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈdaʊni/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈdaʊni/ ## Meanings 1. covered with or resembling soft fine feathers or hair ## Examples - The chick's downy feathers had not yet given way to plumage. ## Synonyms - fluffy - soft - feathery - fuzzy - velvety - silky ## Antonyms - coarse - rough - bristly ## Derived Forms - downiness ## Related Forms - down ## Roots and Affixes - Root: dúnn ## Etymology From 'down' (soft fine feathers or hair) + the adjectival suffix '-y'. The noun 'down' in this sense is from Old Norse 'dúnn' ('down feathers'). ## AI Etymology Downy is from 'down' (soft fine feathers or hair) + the adjectival suffix '-y'. The noun 'down' in this sense is from Old Norse 'dúnn' ('down feathers'). The immediate etymological form is Old Norse dúnn. The suffix -y forms an adjective meaning characterized by the base, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as an adjective, it means "covered with or resembling soft fine feathers or hair", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include down; derived forms include downiness. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown