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

Stock Up at Two Chicks on a Hill Load up on baked goods, jams, jellies, farm-fresh eggs, tortillas, cinnamon rolls, and produce at Two Chicks on a Hill, a farm stand on the north side of the Llano River just outside of town. — Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 20 July 2026

For something even more subdued, try a light jelly shade of pink nail polish. — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 19 July 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