frilly

[ fril-ee ]

adjective

, frill·i·er, frill·i·est.

1. covered with or marked by frills:

   Some of the more elaborate dress shirts have frilly fronts.

2. frivolous; inconsequential:

   After a day of intense concentration and serious business, they feel like doing something frilly and amusing.

Other Words From

• frilli·ness noun
• un·frilly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of frilly¹

First recorded in 1835–45; frill + -y ¹

Example Sentences

They seem to be mid-conversation, one fixing their hair in a frilly leotard.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of her key sources were high-end vintage boutiques in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, but also random online sellers and Etsy, a source for things like reproductions of frilly ’60s swimming caps.

From Los Angeles Times

The frilly quilt that covered the sides of the bed and subsequently hid them also did a great job of obscuring what was happening.

From Literature

One of the most talked-about openings of the week was the Milan-based design duo Formafantasma’s solo show at the Fondazione ICA Milano, for which the pair — Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin — drew on memories of their childhood homes in Italy to create surprising hybrid chairs and lamps that pair steel armatures with colorful wood, frilly fabrics and hand-painted or embroidered floral motifs.

From New York Times

Their faces are featureless except for a crown of frilly pink gills.

From New York Times

Related Words

• deluxe
• extravagant
• lavish
• luscious
• ostentatious
• palatial
• plush
• sumptuous
• swank