adjective
Uncommon
silky
SIHL-kee
Silky (adjective) means Smooth and soft to the touch, like silk. Example: “The conditioner left her hair silky and shiny.”
adjective
1
Smooth and soft to the touch, like silk.
"The conditioner left her hair silky and shiny."
2
Smooth and pleasant in a way that can seem too polished or seductive.
"If you have a circular polarizer or a neutral density (grey) filter, put that in front of the lens too. This will slow down the shutter speed even further to get silkier, smoothier (that's a word!) water motion."
— Gary L. Friedman, The Friedman Archives Guide to the Sony RX-10 IV (2017)
"The salesman had a silky manner that made her suspicious."
How to use silky
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSoft, smooth, and glossy — used for hair, fabric, or a smooth-talking manner.
Common pairings
silky smooth
silky voice
silky texture
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Word forms
- Comparative
- silkier
- Superlative
- silkiest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The conditioner left her hair _____ and shiny.
Etymology
This comes from Middle English sylky, equivalent to silk + -y.
Related words
Rhymes for silky
See all rhymes for silky →Frequently asked questions
What does “silky” mean?
The word “silky” means smooth and soft to the touch, like silk. In plain terms, soft, smooth, and glossy — used for hair, fabric, or a smooth-talking manner.
How do you pronounce “silky”?
“Silky” is pronounced SIHL-kee (/ˈsɪlki/ in IPA).
How do you use “silky” in a sentence?
Here is “silky” used in a sentence: “The conditioner left her hair silky and shiny.”
What part of speech is “silky”?
“Silky” is an adjective.
Is “silky” a common word?
“Silky” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “silky” have?
“Silky” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: smooth and soft to the touch, like silk.
