Gossamer
adj.calm, joyfulliterary
What it means
Extremely light, delicate, and almost transparent.
Reach for it when describing fine material or imagery whose fragility is part of its beauty
Gossamer curtains softened the afternoon light.
Choose between these
7- everyday
filmy
a thin translucent layer is visibly present
not when Filmy can suggest residue or poor clarity rather than beauty.
- everyday
gauzy
soft loose weave or visual haze is central
not when Gauzy may imply blur and lacks gossamer's near-weightlessness.
- everyday
wispy
small thin strands or patches are visible
not when Wispy can sound sparse or insubstantial rather than refined.
- warm
fragility or fine construction matters without transparency
not when Delicate also applies to flavor, health, and social situations where gossamer makes no sense.
- professional
sheer
fabric transparency is the factual property
not when Sheer says nothing about delicacy and also has unrelated intensifying senses.
- literary
fabric is translucent and exquisitely light
not when Diaphanous is uncommon and belongs mainly to material or clothing.
- literary
otherworldly beauty matters more than material structure
not when Ethereal can describe music or mood with no thinness at all.
Said against
3- heavy
- opaque
- substantial
It naturally appears in
3- gossamer fabric
Gossamer fabric floated behind the dancer's final turn.
- gossamer wings
The sculpture's gossamer wings were cut from recycled mesh.
- gossamer veil
A gossamer veil softened the hard geometry of the window.
Where this comes from
Gossamer often implies fragility. Do not use it for a material that must be described with verified strength or safety properties.
- Wiktionary, English adjective sense 1: light, thin, and delicate opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.