English Reference
Noun

telly

n. uncountable
B1 Intermediate US /ˈtɛɫi/ UK /tˈɛli/ tel·ly UK spelling tellies, tellys Television

n.a common word for the television. You use it when talking casually with friends or family.

n.a television set or the medium of television broadcasting. Primarily associated with British English.


SIMPLE

What is on the telly tonight?

CONTEXTUAL

After a long day at work, he usually just wants to sit on the sofa and watch the telly.

COMPLEX

The shift from traditional telly to streaming services has fundamentally changed how families consume media together in the evenings.

Usage

Often used with the definite article 'the' when referring to the medium or the device.


Etymology 1

Shortened form of tele(vision) + -y.

Etymology 2

Shortened form of (ho)tel and/or (mo)tel + -y.

Etymology 3

From tell + -y, related to the writing advice show, don't tell.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated