sally

noun · verb

Simple meaning

Any tree that resembles a willow.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

salee

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US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈsæli

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

Any tree that resembles a willow.
An object made from the wood of a willow.
A sortie of troops from a besieged place against an enemy.
A sudden rushing forth.
An excursion or side trip.
Witty remark

verb

intransitive
To make a sudden attack (e.g. on an enemy from a defended position).
intransitive
To set out on an excursion; venture; depart (often followed by "forth").
intransitive
To venture off the beaten path.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty: B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency: Moderately Common
Typical Use: Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Any tree that resembles a willow.

Used this way, sally is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone: Neutral
Formality: Neutral
Intensity: Not strongly marked
How common: Moderately common
Connotation: Matter-of-fact
Usage feel: Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use sally

“She made a witty sally that made everyone in the room laugh.”noun

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

miss sally

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

sally forthverbCompound term
Set out in a sudden, energetic or violent manner.
sally lunnnounCompound term
A flat round slightly sweet teacake usually served hot.
sally outverbCompound term
Set out in a sudden, energetic or violent manner.
sallying forthnounCompound term
A venture off the beaten path.
black sallynounCompound term
A small mallee with rough dark-colored bark toward the butt.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.