variants
or less commonly tele
plural tellies also teles
British, informal
: television
… I asked parents what they thought of children's telly.—
Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa FeltzWhile 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
Berb CaenIs there any truth to the hundreds of pieces of advice we hear from aunt Jane, who 'saw it on the tele'?—Patrick Holler
Patrick HollerExamples of telly in a Sentence
Please turn off the telly.
I just want to relax and watch the telly.
Recent Examples on the Web
Depending on your location, remaining cozy indoors with a book may be in order or watch a moving picture show on the telly.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 9 Jan. 2026
Take a look at what to expect from British telly in 2026.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Fans will switch the telly on or get to a stadium to watch her.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
That's a lot of change for a gogglebox, but is a fraction of the ticket price for the company's 110-inch MicroLED telly.
—New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for telly
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Ed Silverman, STAT, 9 Jan. 2026
Take a look at what to expect from British telly in 2026.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Fans will switch the telly on or get to a stadium to watch her.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
That's a lot of change for a gogglebox, but is a fraction of the ticket price for the company's 110-inch MicroLED telly.
—New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for telly
Cite this Entry
“Telly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telly. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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