jelly

1 of 3

noun

jel·​ly ˈje-lē 

plural jellies

1

: a soft somewhat elastic food product made usually with gelatin or pectin

especially : a fruit product made by boiling sugar and the juice of fruit

2

: a substance resembling jelly in consistency

3

: jellyfish

4

: a state of fear or irresolution

5

: a shapeless structureless mass : pulp

jellylike

ˈje-lē-ˌlīk 

adjective

jelly

2 of 3

verb

jellied; jellying

intransitive verb

1

: jell

2

: to make jelly

transitive verb

: to bring to the consistency of jelly

jelly

3 of 3

adjective

slang

: jealous

"I'm jelly," declared Jon Osborne of Pardi's white, sparkly jacket, complete with flowers …

—Taylor Weatherby

Synonyms of jelly

Verb

• gel
• freeze

Examples of jelly in a Sentence

Noun

a selection of different jellies and jams

He spread some jelly on his toast.

a jar of grape jelly

a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

a meat glaze made with stock and jelly

Verb

this fruit juice is taking longer to jelly than I expected

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The creamy color is in keeping with the jelly polishes and clear, glossy tints spotted on stars like Zoë Kravitz, Hailey Bieber, and Kylie Jenner this summer. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 4 Aug. 2026

From Ancient Greek Sandals to Christopher Esber, these foam footbeds and jelly straps can handle sandy shores and poolside splashes, while being some of the easiest shoes to pack up. — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026

Verb

The placement on Favre’s 350-yard shot had been dead-on and the lungs were jellied. — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2025

Small Batch is one of the few businesses in the region taking a chance on jellying the fruit, despite seeing little interest. — Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2025

Adjective

This hanging feeder includes a baffle over its jelly dishes, nectar compartments, and orange holders—all of which are typically favorite foods for orioles. — Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 May 2026

Keep reading to learn more about why these jelly sandals have earned this travel writer’s stamp of approval. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gelly, from Anglo-French gelee, from feminine of gelé, past participle of geler to freeze, congeal, from Latin gelare — more at cold

Adjective

jeal(ous) + -y entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1590, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective

1931, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing jelly

• box jelly
• calf's-foot jelly
• comb jelly
• jelly baby
• jelly bean
• jelly roll
• petroleum jelly
• royal jelly

Rhymes for jelly

• belly
• deli
• kellie
• melly
• nellie
• nelly
• shelly
• skelly
• smellie
• smelly
• tele
• telly

Kids Definition

jelly

1 of 2 noun

jel·​ly ˈjel-ē 

plural jellies

1

: a food with a soft elastic consistency due usually to gelatin or pectin

especially : a fruit product made by boiling sugar and the juice of fruit

2

: a substance resembling jelly

jellylike

-ē-ˌlīk 

adjective

jelly

2 of 2 verb

jellied; jellying

: jell sense 1

Medical Definition

jelly

noun

jel·​ly ˈjel-ē 

plural jellies

1

: a soft somewhat elastic food product made usually with gelatin or pectin

especially : a fruit product made by boiling sugar and the juice of fruit

2

: a substance resembling jelly in consistency: as

a

: a transparent elastic gel

b

: a semisolid medicated or cosmetic preparation often having a gum base and usually intended for local application

ephedrine jelly

c

: a jellylike preparation used in electrocardiography to obtain better conduction of electricity

electrode jelly