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powdery

powdery

4 3.0
Covered with fine, dry dust that easily falls off
  • adjective
  • /ˈpaʊdəri/
translation icon : polvoriento
  • The earth under my feet is a powdery mix of adobe and sand, which makes it feel soft and dry.
  • powdery snow
  • powdery substance
  • powdery sand

It's just that kind of like crunchy, overly powdery type of a blush.

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Examples

  • Olivia and Ginger made their way through a deep, powdery field of snow that sparkled in the sunlight.

  • The powdery snow was whirling overhead, filling the sky for some immeasurable distance.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • "The surface is fine and powdery," said the voice.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Does it matter if the snow is a little less powdery today than it was two weeks ago?

    Blog text (24)
  • The surface is fine and powdery.

  • The lunar surface is gray, powdery, and lifeless.

    Academic text (2003)
  • In Montana, when you're shoveling your driveway, the easiest layer to remove is always the fresh, powdery snow.

  • The surface is fine and powdery, making it easy to brush away any debris.

Synonyms

grainy
vspowdery
25 3.7

Rough in feel or look because of many tiny pieces

means fine loose particles rather than coarse, rough grains
powdered
vspowdery
9 1.4

In the form of many tiny dry pieces, like spices or sugar

refers to the appearance of fine loose particles, not production method
mealy
vspowdery
8 7.1

Having a dry, powdery texture like ground grain

is about loose fine particles rather than food-related meal texture
fine-grained
vspowdery
1 4.4

Contains very small, closely packed particles that make it feel smooth like fine sugar

is looser and more noticeably covered with fine particles
bloomy
vspowdery
1 5.8

A surface covered with a soft white powder, like on plums

is the general texture term, not a natural surface coating
dustlike
vspowdery
3.4

Very small and powdery like dust

is more general, meaning covered with fine loose particles
pulverized
vspowdery
  • US
5.4

A thing made into a fine powder by crushing or grinding

describes having fine loose particles without implying how they formed
floury
vspowdery
3.9

Something that is soft, dry and powdery like flour

is similar but not limited to the flour-like texture
farinaceous
vspowdery
  • Specialized
9.9

A dry, powdery feel like flour that comes from a lot of starch

is broader, covering any fine loose particle appearance, not just starchy
granulose
vspowdery
9.9

A material or surface covered with small grains like coarse sand

focuses on general fine loose particles rather than meal resemblance
small-grained
vspowdery
4.0

Made of very small pieces like fine sand

emphasizes loose fine particles rather than a packed grain structure

Antonyms

325 1.0

Firm and hard so it keeps its shape, not liquid

Compounds

powdery mildew
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A plant disease that looks like white or gray powder on leaves and stems

A light soft blue color like pale flowers or a clear sky

How Powdery

powdery
4 3.0
chalky
5 4.2
dusty
100 1.0

Surface Forms

powdery positive

Morphology

powdery = powder (transparent) = powder + y

The adjective is a straightforward adjectival formation from the noun 'powder' with the productive suffix '-y', so learners who know 'powder' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Powdery comes from the word powder, which means 'dust' or very small dry bits, and the ending -y, which means 'full of' or 'like'. So powdery is a simple way to say 'like dust' or covered with fine particles.