telly
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
An electronic device that receives television signals and displays them on a screen.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tehleeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtɛli
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.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
An electronic device that receives television signals and displays them on a screen
A television set.
Telegraph.
Telephone.
Telecommunication.
Teleport.
adjective
informalchiefly of a literary work
Inclined to telling (by explicitly stating facts), instead of showing (by conveying an impression so that events are described in the narrative).
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
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How this word commonly comes across.
Word Aura is being prepared for this meaning.
More ways to use telly
- “The British call a tv set a telly.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
An electronic home entertainment device equipped with a screen and a speaker for receiving television signals and….
A television; an electronic device that receives television signals, and displays the resulting images on a screen.
A television set.
An electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: electronic device that receives television signals and displays them on a screen
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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.