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.
"Everything on telly was BBC," she said, adding that she grew up watching the sitcom Some Mothers Do Ave Em and Doctor Who, which ignited a love of science fiction.
From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026
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
Kemp also recounted how someone in a pub recently told him he looked "a lot fatter on telly".
From BBC • Aug. 19, 2025
We have this old piano, and on Friday nights we’d sing and eat beans on toast and watch telly all together and have a laugh.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
