telly
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of telly
First recorded in 1935–40; tel(evision) + -y 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And the “Antiques Roadshow” version of the lottery—the old picture over the family telly that might be worth $200 million.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025
"Suddenly you cry on the telly in front of 10 million people, you feel a lot more open."
From BBC • Oct. 18, 2025
The long-running Channel 4 TV series, narrated by The Royle Family's Craig Cash, has viewers watching other viewers watching the week's telly, often to comic and heartwarming effect.
From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025
“It’s crazy going to the Grammys and looking at all the famous people off the telly and just feeling very odd.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025
They were in the living-room eating their suppers on their knees in front of the telly.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
