gossamer

10 synonyms and 1 antonym for gossamer, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A fine, filmy strand of cobweb often seen drifting in the air or caught on bushes.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

sheer transparent

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

cobweb gauzy vapourous filmy cobwebby vaporous ethereal diaphanous

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A fine, filmy strand of cobweb often seen drifting in the air or caught on bushes.

“The dew and gossamer had dried early from the grass”

cobweb

2. adj

Extremely delicate, light, and sheer.

“A gossamer blanket of coaldust floated down like a dirty blessing and gently smothered the traffic.”

gauzy vapourous sheer filmy cobwebby vaporous transparent ethereal diaphanous

Opposites

thick

How to use gossamer

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

gossamer wings gossamer threads gossamer-thin

Etymology

From Middle English gossomer, likely from "goose" + "summer" — originally describing a spell of mild autumn weather when geese were traditionally eaten, later transferred to the delicate cobwebs that appear at that time of year.

Full origin of gossamer →

Frequently asked questions

What does “gossamer” mean?

The word “gossamer” means a fine, filmy strand of cobweb often seen drifting in the air or caught on bushes. In plain terms, fine cobweb strands, or as an adjective, anything as light and sheer as one.

How do you pronounce “gossamer”?

“Gossamer” is pronounced GO-suh-muh (/ˈɡɑ.sə.mɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “gossamer” in a sentence?

Here is “gossamer” used in a sentence: “Strands of gossamer glistened with dew across the lawn.”

What part of speech is “gossamer”?

Depending on how it is used, “gossamer” can be a noun and an adjective.

Where does the word “gossamer” come from?

The word “gossamer” comes from Middle English.

How many meanings does “gossamer” have?

“Gossamer” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a fine, filmy strand of cobweb often seen drifting in the air or caught on bushes.

People also searched

thick transparent sheer ethereal gauzy vaporous cobweb diaphanous filmy cobwebby

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of gossamer