ENGLISH
REFERENCE

telly

n. uncountable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈtɛɫi// UK //tˈɛli// tel·ly Informal Slang

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.

Synonyms
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.

Usage

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

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