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silky

silky

37 1.0
Smooth and soft to touch like fine cloth
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɪlki/
translation icon : sedoso
  • So this is a silky, satiny kind of shirt.
  • silky tofu

They add such a silky look to your lips.

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Examples

  • And it's got this really silky, nice texture to it.

  • It's smooth, it's straight, it's silky, and it's so much better than before.

  • I was surprised at how silky the hair felt, even this old.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Tanner watched his wife stare into the silky steam rising off her tea.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • She laid out ready, the silky fabric raising goosebumps on my skin.

  • They're silky soft.

  • The dress was made from a silky fabric that shimmered in the light.

  • She admired the silky texture of the freshly washed hair.

  • The cat's silky fur felt wonderful against my skin.

Synonyms

sleek
vssilky
11 3.5

Smooth and shiny like silk or polished wood

is about soft smoothness and light lustre rather than high shine
velvety
vssilky
11 3.8

Smooth and very soft in touch, look, sound, or taste

describes smooth softness with more emphasis on thin lustre than plushness
silken
vssilky
9 4.3

Very smooth, soft, and a little shiny like fine cloth

is the common everyday adjective for that same smooth soft lustre
satiny
vssilky
3 4.1

Smooth and soft with a shiny surface like silk

emphasizes general smooth softness rather than the heavier glossy look
velvet
vssilky
1 3.3

Very smooth and soft to touch

stresses a lightweight smoothness and sheen rather than plush depth
fine-textured
vssilky
1 4.6

Has very small parts that make a smooth surface, like hair or flour

focuses more on soft lustre and tactile silklike smoothness than grain size
silklike
vssilky
3.7

Having a smooth, soft, and shiny feel like fine cloth

focuses on the same smooth soft sheen but as the basic term
velvet-textured
vssilky
5.1

Smooth and very soft to touch, sound, or taste, like chocolate

highlights smooth soft lustre rather than dense plush pile
3.6

Very soft to the touch like velvet

is the simpler idea of smooth soft lustrous texture, not hyperbole
smooth-textured
vssilky
3.7

Having an even, soft surface with no bumps when you touch it

adds the idea of light sheen and softness beyond mere smoothness
sericeous
vssilky
  • Specialized
9.9

A surface with fine soft hairs that look like silk

refers to smooth soft lustrous surfaces without hairy covering

Compounds

9.9

A tall bush from eastern Australia with clusters of red flowers and soft grey leaves

Sydney silky
  • Australian
7.9

A small companion dog from Australia with a soft blue coat

silky oak
  • Australian
8.1

A tall Australian tree with feathery leaves and bright orange flowers

A small pale yellow mouse with very soft fur that lives in deserts

A small golden monkey with long silky fur that forms a mane

silky terrier
  • Australian
4.9

A small dog from Australia with a long shiny blue and light brown coat

8.1

A North American willow tree with soft shiny leaves that grows near water

A climbing plant from China with groups of white fragrant flowers and soft hairy leaves

A small animal that lives in trees in Central and South America with long golden fur and no teeth

9.7

A bush with purple stems and blue fruit that grows in eastern North America

8.5

A bush with purplish stems and blue berries often growing near water

silky elm
  • Australian
7.4

A large Australian tree with very soft leaves and smooth bark

Hair that is soft, smooth, and shiny like silk

A plant with smooth, shiny leaves that feel very soft

Leaves that are soft and shiny feel smooth to touch

How Silky

lustrous
9 5.3
silky
37 1.0
satiny
3 4.1
smooth
256 1.0
soft
552 1.0

Surface Forms

silky positive
silkier comparative
silkiest superlative

Morphology

silky = silk (transparent) = silk + y

A straightforward adjectival formation from 'silk' with the productive suffix '-y' meaning 'having the quality of'.

Etymology

Silky comes from the cloth silk plus the ending -y, which means 'like'. So silky literally means 'like silk' and is used for things that are smooth, soft, and shiny, such as hair, fabric, or petals.