Wordul · all words

noun · 2 syllables · /'dɪl.i/

DILLY

What does "DILLY" mean?

An informal, dated word for something or someone regarded as remarkable or excellent.

Meanings

  1. A thing or person that is notably good, striking, or out of the ordinary. That last storm was a real dilly - tore the roof clean off the barn. informal
  2. Flavoured with dill, the herb. He ordered a dilly cheese sandwich at the deli. informal

Word origin

The 'remarkable thing' sense is an early-20th-century American coinage, probably a playful shortening of 'delightful' or 'delicious'.

Remember it

DILLY sounds like 'delightful' shortened down to its first sound - and that's roughly where the slang came from.

A little poem

Grandpa called the sunset a real dilly-
a word as worn and warm as his old chair, frankly.

couplet

Wordplay

  • The pickle won the talent show. The judges agreed it was a real dilly.

What it teaches

Some praise dates itself; a word like 'dilly' carries the warmth of whoever last said it to you.

Quick facts

What does DILLY mean?

An informal, dated word for something or someone regarded as remarkable or excellent.

Is DILLY a valid word?

Yes — DILLY is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is DILLY?

DILLY has 5 letters and 2 syllables.

Where does DILLY come from?

The 'remarkable thing' sense is an early-20th-century American coinage, probably a playful shortening of 'delightful' or 'delicious'.

What can DILLY teach us?

Some praise dates itself; a word like 'dilly' carries the warmth of whoever last said it to you.

How players do

Be the first to solve it.

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