Filmy describes something so thin and delicate that you can almost see through it, like a whisper of fabric or a fine layer covering something. A spider's web glistening with morning dew is filmy, and so are sheer curtains that let light filter into a room while still providing some privacy.

When your glasses get a filmy coating from fingerprints or dust, they're covered with a thin, hazy layer that makes it harder to see clearly. Old windows sometimes develop a filmy appearance from years of accumulated grime. The word suggests something insubstantial and light, like the filmy wings of a dragonfly or the filmy tissue paper used to wrap delicate gifts.

Filmy materials are often beautiful but fragile. A bride might wear a filmy veil, and dancers often perform in filmy, flowing costumes that catch the light and move gracefully.