as in showy
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Recent Examples of frilly
This week, Julia Fox became an unexpected adopter of conservative kitsch at the Fashion Trust US Awards, arriving in a frilly satin salmon pink oversized nightgown from rising cult label Ashley Williams.
—
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Their frilly edges look like they’ve been cut with pinking shears and the silvery-gray foliage is long and narrow.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Apr. 2026
For those unbelievably hot and humid days on the horizon, throw on a pair of jean shorts over a bikini or a crop top, with a frilly boho blouse as a cover-up.
—India Roby, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
The biscuits, flecked with frilly sprigs of dill, are pulled together with sour cream, giving them tenderness and a mild tang.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Next, Johnson takes on Styles’ iconic 2019 Met Gala outfit, a frilly, sheer lace top paired with black pants and a dangling pearl earring.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2026
What’s spring without frilly florals?
—Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
More figurines in frilly dresses seemed to have been scattered at random throughout the building.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Aburn made frilly silk mini dresses and sequin fringe skirts and draped high-slit skirts with zip-up hoodies.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Their frilly edges look like they’ve been cut with pinking shears and the silvery-gray foliage is long and narrow.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Apr. 2026
For those unbelievably hot and humid days on the horizon, throw on a pair of jean shorts over a bikini or a crop top, with a frilly boho blouse as a cover-up.
—India Roby, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
The biscuits, flecked with frilly sprigs of dill, are pulled together with sour cream, giving them tenderness and a mild tang.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Next, Johnson takes on Styles’ iconic 2019 Met Gala outfit, a frilly, sheer lace top paired with black pants and a dangling pearl earring.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2026
What’s spring without frilly florals?
—Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
More figurines in frilly dresses seemed to have been scattered at random throughout the building.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Aburn made frilly silk mini dresses and sequin fringe skirts and draped high-slit skirts with zip-up hoodies.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frilly
Adjective
-
The gesture is sentimental, showy, and, in all its glitz, moving in a way that haunts me.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But these were more like performance anomalies than the showy rule of the evening.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Elsa’s story is quickly revealed as fiction, written by Raúl, a film director in 2026 (Argentina’s Leonardo Sbaraglia, an Almodovar look-alike in his flamboyant bouffant white hair).—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Catherine O'Hara, who died suddenly in January, played matriarch Moira Rose, a flamboyant former soap opera star.—
Anthony Mason,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An outsider romance peppered with gallows humor and bubbling over with giddy optimism, Harold and Maude is a life-affirming, weirdly wonderful film about a rich kid with a death wish and his love affair with an exuberant 79-year-old woman.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Their music is an exuberant reminder of how much humans around the world have in common.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Blown out, extravagant, dripping with ferocious malaise and desperation, but precisely arranged for the maximum possible emotional effect.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Even dinner is an extravagant affair.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In equally ostentatious fashion, Corey Gamble showed off a rare gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak that is rumored to be reserved for just 50 VIP clients.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
-
To be sure, nothing here is an ostentatious gastronomical experiment; Peacock Alley serves pigs in a blanket.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Consider setting aside grandiose ambitions for the moment and taking a break to do something active with your hands.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The grandiose space’s massive stage and high-caliber lighting rigs promise extravagant parties and ceremonies that will light up the city’s social calendar.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And rather than looking constricted in overwrought ensembles, the actors appeared comfortable in their own skin.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The emotion here, teetering between overwrought and genuinely moving, comes filtered through jangling guitar, heavy reverb, and vocoder.—
E.R. Pulgar,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This elegant opera house hosts numerous events, mostly opera and ballet.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The smooth, fluid drape reads elegant, and the fabric has a soft silk sheen that holds up beautifully in a suitcase.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frilly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frilly. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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