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

See Examples For:

Nellie

Barton let him in on a less popular trip that involved a great swimming hole, fish tacos at Whoa Nellie Deli, an adventure around Mono Lake and a drive through a stunning mountain pass.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

The most captivating sidebar introduces Nellie Williams, the young upstate New Yorker whose disabled father won a printing press in a poker game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

In 1993, Kelly joined the cast of EastEnders as Nellie Ellis - the sharp-tongued relative of Pauline Fowler.

From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026

Viktor and Nellie Anisovets bought a newly built home in Sacramento, Calif., in September.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

“Well, all right, then. Tomorrow morning you take Nellie up to the ridge ranch and get her bred. You’ll have to take care of her, too, till she throws the colt.”

From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck