Pillowy describes something that feels wonderfully soft, cushiony, and cloud-like, just like sinking your head into a fluffy pillow. When fresh dinner rolls come out of the oven with that light, airy texture that seems to melt in your mouth, bakers call them pillowy. A pile of newly fallen snow might have a pillowy surface before anyone walks through it.

The word captures that particular kind of softness that has a little give to it, like pressing gently into a marshmallow or a soft cushion. A baker creating pillowy focaccia wants that tender, airy texture inside with those lovely air pockets. Your grandmother's homemade biscuits might be perfectly pillowy, splitting apart in soft layers.

You can use pillowy for anything with that dreamy, cushioned quality: pillowy clouds floating across the sky or the pillowy softness of a kitten's fur. The word always suggests comfort and a gentle, yielding softness rather than something firm or rigid.