welly

American  

[wel-ee] / ˈwɛl i /

Also wellie

noun

Chiefly British Informal.

plural

wellies

1. Usually wellies. Wellington boot.

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welly British  

/ ˈwɛlɪ /

noun

1. Also called: welly boot.  informal a Wellington boot

2. slang energy, concentration, or commitment (esp in the phrase give it some welly )

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Etymology

Origin of welly

First recorded in 1960–65; Well(ington boot) ( def. ) + -y ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

"It was a soggy welly, with, like, Fairy Liquid and a bit of salt."

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

She gives it her usual amount of welly, but the film suffers a bit from heat exhaustion.

From The Guardian • Jan. 16, 2020

The Sunderland fans have sold out the away section too and are also giving it plenty of welly.

From The Guardian • Nov. 23, 2015

Federer gets up and running with a sweet forehand that curls just inside the tramline and gets to 40-15 before an ill-advised serve-and-volley allows Berdych to welly the ball back at him, bodyline-style.

From The Guardian • Nov. 15, 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