frill

1 of 2

noun

1

a

: a gathered, pleated, or bias-cut fabric edging used on clothing

b

: a strip of paper curled at one end and rolled to be slipped over the bone end (as of a chop) in serving

2

: a ruff of hair or feathers or a bony or cartilaginous projection about the neck of an animal

3

a

: affectation, air

—usually used in plural

… intellectual frills and fustian.

—Joseph Epstein

b

: something decorative or useful and desirable but not essential : luxury

a new car with all the frills

For small businesses, a private plane is more than just a fat-cat frill.

—Kevin Peraino

frilly

ˈfri-lē 

adjective

frilly

2 of 2

adjective

ˈfrilē 

-li

-er/-est

: having or resembling a frill : nonessential, ornamental, frivolous, trifling

get out of my field clothes and sun helmet into something frilly

—Eve Langley

like her earlier writing, it is … rather frilly here and there

—E. A. Speiser

frilly cakes coated with icing

—New Yorker

Synonyms of frill

Noun

• edging
• flounce
• ruffle
• border
• skirting
• fringe

Examples of frill in a Sentence

Noun

The dress had frills around the hem and sleeves.

He likes plain food without any frills.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

One of the hallmarks of its origins is a tile work from 1928 by Ernest Batcheler, an American artist of Dutch descent, that portrays a Spanish woman wearing a pink traditional Sevilla dress with frills, a shawl with fringe and a headpiece known as a mantilla. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026

Simple, no frills, and a tradition made with so much love and soul for over 70 years. —Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 31 May 2026

This tote combines both, with a painterly plaid in golden-hour hues and asymmetrical frills. —Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 31 May 2026

La Raspita is a typical, no- frills tapas bar with outdoor tables, cold beverages, and traditional Spanish classics. —Aileen Weintraub, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps from Dutch dialect (Brabant) frul ribbon bow, trifle

First Known Use

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for frill

• bill
• brill
• chill
• drill
• fil
• fill
• gill
• grill
• grille
• jill
• kill
• krill

Kids Definition

frill

noun

ˈfril

1

: ruffle entry 2 sense 2a

2

: something added mostly for show

3

: a thick fringe of hair or feathers or projection of bone or cartilage about the neck of an animal