welly
Americannoun
noun
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Also called: welly boot. informal a Wellington boot
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slang energy, concentration, or commitment (esp in the phrase give it some welly )
Etymology
Origin of welly
First recorded in 1960–65; Well(ington boot) ( def. ) + -y 2 ( def. )
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.
"It was a soggy welly, with, like, Fairy Liquid and a bit of salt."
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
Richard Curtis’s seasonal schmaltzfest is given real welly by Thompson’s raw performance as the bereft wife of Alan Rickman’s philandering husband.
From The Guardian • May 9, 2019
She’s really giving it some welly … Where’s Nicki?
From The Guardian • Nov. 22, 2015
Biggar had previously tried to put Alex Cuthbert in at the corner with a cross-field kick, but put too much welly on the ball and the ref called the players back for an advantage.
From The Guardian • Oct. 10, 2015
If John is allowed to go by himself, he merely waits till the gold gets warm, takes it out again, and brings it back, saying, "All light; welly good, welly good gole; no gammon."
From A Boy's Voyage Round the World by Smiles, Samuel
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.
