Nellie

American  

[nel-ee] / ˈnɛl i /

Or Nelly

noun

1. a female given name, form of Helen.

2. (often lowercase)

   1. Offensive. a fussily effeminate male.

   2. Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a gay man.

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Nellie Idioms  

1. see nervous nellie.

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Etymology

Origin of Nellie

First recorded in 1930–35 Nellie for def. 2

Example Sentences

Her agent added: "Elizabeth enjoyed an illustrious career spanning many decades but is probably best known as Auntie Nellie in EastEnders."

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

“And she loved to come out here and would stay just across the street at the Desert Inn, which was run by Nellie Coffman.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

In the film, the car, nicknamed Wet Nellie, could transform into a submarine.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

The semi-saving grace is the presence of the distinctive singer-songwriter Nellie McKay, who performs some of her original compositions before, after and between the plays, accompanying herself on several instruments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Nellie was so big that her breath came heavily, and her ears were close together and straight up, as though her head ached.

From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck