frilly

[fril-ee]

adjective

frillier, frilliest 

1. covered with or marked by frills.

   Some of the more elaborate dress shirts have frilly fronts.

2. frivolous; inconsequential.

   After a day of intense concentration and serious business, they feel like doing something frilly and amusing.

Other Word Forms

• frilliness noun
• unfrilly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of frilly¹

First recorded in 1835–45; frill + -y ¹

Example Sentences

She carried a frilly parasol against the sun, and twirled it to and fro in irritation.

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She put her frilly purse on the bedside table and examined herself in the mirror.

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She paused, her long blond hair and frilly white gown rustling in the dry, dusty breeze.

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One of the most multifaceted ingredients, it's a multi-layered bulb around a dense core with sprouting stalks and frilly fronds.

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Over the years, pioneer Edwin Frazee and other local growers developed 13 colors of the frilly flowers.

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Related Words

• complicated 
• decorative 
• deluxe 
• elegant 
• gaudy 
• lavish 
• ornate 
• special 
• sumptuous