telly

noun

tel·​ly ˈte-lē 

variants or less commonly tele

plural tellies also teles

British, informal

: television

… I asked parents what they thought of children's telly.

—Vanessa Feltz

While you were doing your couch potato number in front of the telly last Sun., 67-yr-old Zadu Taft was swimming across the Golden Gate …

—Berb Caen

Is there any truth to the hundreds of pieces of advice we hear from aunt Jane, who 'saw it on the tele'?

—Patrick Holler

Synonyms

• boob tube
• box
• idiot box
• television
• tube
• TV

Examples of telly in a Sentence

Please turn off the telly.

I just want to relax and watch the telly.

Recent Examples on the Web

Then the taxi drives off, taking Grant home to his one-bedroom flat, and his curry, and his quiet evening in front of the telly. —Candace Bushnell, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2025

Chase and Zoe arrive at the location provided by Nina’s phone: A woodsy cottage outside London that gives serious serial killer vibes, especially once Chase discovers an emaciated Nina lying helplessly in front of the telly. —Sarene Leeds, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024

Grab a cup of tea and settle down for the finest telly Britain has to offer. —Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2024

How can anyone who has ever seen Tamra on their telly not know the answer to that? —Peter Larsen, Orange County Register, 20 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

tel(evision) + -y; tele as if shortened from television

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing telly

• on (the) telly

Rhymes for telly

• belly
• deli
• felly
• jelly
• kellie
• melly
• nellie
• nelly
• shelly
• skelly
• smellie
• smelly