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Meaning & use

feathery

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈfeð.ər.i/
US/ˈfeð.ɚ.i/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Covered with feathers, or looking or feeling like feathers.

    Grammar: Used before a noun (feathery plumes) or after a verb (the leaves look feathery). Comparative: more feathery.

    Patterns

    • feathery plumes
    • feathery texture

    The chick was still covered in soft, feathery down.

    Ferns have long, feathery leaves.

    The dancer wore a feathery headdress.

  2. adjectivecomparablefigurative

    Very light, soft and delicate, as if it could float away.

    Grammar: Used figuratively for touch, snow, clouds or sound: a feathery touch.

    Patterns

    • a feathery touch

    Feathery snowflakes drifted past the window.

    The baker's cake had a feathery, airy crumb.

    She felt a feathery touch on her shoulder.

Word forms

comparativefeatherier
superlativefeatheriest

Common combinations

feathery touch
A feathery touch woke him gently.
feathery clouds
Feathery clouds streaked the evening sky.
feathery leaves
The tree has feathery leaves that move in the breeze.
feathery texture
The pastry has a feathery texture.
feathery strokes
The artist used feathery strokes to paint the grass.

Synonyms and how they differ

downy
Downy specifically suggests the very soft, fine fluff of young birds or fine hair, so it is narrower than feathery.
fluffy
Fluffy is the everyday word for soft and airy things, and it does not suggest the thin, branching look of feathers.
wispy
Wispy implies thin and slightly untidy strands, such as hair or cloud, whereas feathery implies softness and delicacy.
feathered
Feathered means actually having feathers, but feathery can also mean merely resembling them.

Opposites

coarseheavy

Word family

feather noun
one of the light growths covering a bird
feather verb
to cover or fit with feathers
feathered adjective
covered with feathers
featherweight noun
a very light person or thing, or a boxer in a certain weight class
featherless adjective
having no feathers

Commonly confused: feathery or feathered? feathery or leathery?

feathery vs feathered

Feathered means having feathers, such as a feathered friend, while feathery means like feathers or very light.

feathery vs leathery

Leathery describes tough, dry skin or material, which is the opposite of soft and delicate.

Practice

Which noun is most natural with the adjective feathery?

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