Feathery

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈfɛ.ðəɹ.i/

Definitions

1. Light, soft, and delicate in texture or appearance, resembling the fine, wispy quality of plumage
2. Exhibiting a soft, lightweight quality that mirrors the delicate texture of feathers while embodying a sense of airy gentleness
3. Characterized by a soft and delicate texture that is reminiscent of feathers, creating an appearance that is light and airy in nature

Etymology: Feathery is about as transparent as English compounds get: it is simply "feather" with the suffix "-y" attached, meaning "having the qualities of" or "resembling" the thing named. The suffix has been part of the language for a long time, descending from an Old English ending that was added to nouns to make adjectives, and "feather" itself traces back through Proto-Germanic to a Proto-Indo-European root that is also behind the sense of "feather" in many related languages. The useful thing to notice is how the suffix works. Many English adjectives ending in "-y" were made the same way, so "feathery" sits in a large family with words like "leafy," "silky," and "stony." Each one takes a physical material or object and turns it into a quality that a thing can have. A thing that is feathery has the lightness, softness, or fringed texture of a feather.

Synonyms: fluffy, soft, light, downy, airy

Antonyms: heavy, dense, solid, stiff, hard